Loren Peter Beth

Rock Hill - Mr. Loren Peter Beth, 90, of 3015 Hitching Post Lane, died Tuesday, December 28, 2010, at his home.

Loren Peter Beth ("Larry") was born in Evanston, Illinois, on December 19th, 1920, the second child of Leo Peter Beth and Louise Lucas Beth. He served in the U. S. Army 1942 - 1945, serving in a barrage balloon unit, a POW camp, and in the Philippines.

In 1946 he married Carol Ann Koehler, daughter of Dr. Benjamin Koehler and his wife Edith of Urbana, Illinois. He received his Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Chicago in 1949, after which he taught at various institutions including most notably the University of Florida (Gainesville), the University of Massachusetts (Amherst), and the University of Georgia (Athens) where he was head of the Political Science Department from 1976 to 1982. He was a well-known scholar in the field of constitutional law and was the author of a number of books and articles, including The Development of the American Constitution, 1877-1917, and a biography of Supreme Court justice John Marshall Harlan. He retired in 1989 at the age of 69.

Larry and Carol continued to live in Athens, Georgia until she died in 1994, after which he went to live with his daughter Janis in Rock Hill, South Carolina. He is survived by their three daughters, Janis Beth Wilkens of Rock Hill, SC; Dana Beth of Bergerac, France; Karen Beth Auriti of Fort Myers, FL; a sister, Shirley Beth Koenig of Mt. Prospect, IL; and three grandchildren. He will be warmly remembered by family and friends for his intellect, his integrity, his humor, his quiet warmth and constant support.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Hospice and Community Care, P.O. Box 993, Rock Hill, SC 29731, or to your favorite charity.

Condolences may be left for the family at www.whitesellfuneralhome.net .