Joel Barket Samaha

Joel Barket Samaha, who taught at the University of Minnesota for more than 50 years, died on December 16, 2024. He passed away peacefully at his home in Minnetonka. He was 88. Joel was born in Lorain, Ohio on May 28, 1936 to Mildred and George Samaha. His father immigrated from Lebanon and his mother's family came from Germany. Joel grew up in Milan, Ohio where his parents ran small businesses and became prominent antique dealers. Joel met Jennifer (Hoskins) Samaha in Chicago and they married in 1967. They later had two sons, Adam and Luke. In Chicago, Joel taught in public high schools where he developed an advanced placement program and coached debate. He also worked as a bartender, played in jazz sessions, practiced law briefly, and attended countless Cubs games. At Northwestern University, Joel earned four degrees (BA, JD, MA, PhD). For his doctorate in history, he explored centuries-old criminal justice records in the archives of Essex, England, and was guided by Sir Geoffrey Elton at Cambridge University. Joel dedicated himself to social history that focused on ordinary people--"those who worked," as he once wrote, not only "those who ruled." In England, Joel and Jennifer acquired their first Irish Wolfhound, Pegeen. Joel went on to breed and show champion Wolfhounds, and he became an internationally respected dog show judge. He published a book on the breed, The New Complete Irish Wolfhound, in 1991. Joel's teaching career was impactful and award-winning. After a year at UCLA, he joined the University of Minnesota in 1971. There he helped found a criminal justice studies department, which he chaired from 1974 to 1978. By the 1980s, Joel was publishing highly influential textbooks. Covering criminal law, criminal procedure, and criminal justice, his books were used at hundreds of colleges in 48 states. He wrote his first textbook on legal pads and a typewriter. But he quickly shifted to personal computers and ultimately online platforms. Early adoption of new technology helped him live a full life with dystonia, a rare neurological condition that affects movement and posture. The textbooks complemented Joel's interactive teaching approach which, he said, aimed to make students "uncomfortable with their assumptions." Joel was kind and encouraged students to voice a range of views. He shared his views, too, sometimes colorfully questioning society's reliance on surveillance, force, and punishment. At the same time, he prized positions based on evidence and critical thinking. Joel himself never stopped learning, and he emphasized "there are several reasonable meanings to any topic worth studying." In that spirit, Joel influenced thousands of students and others who work in criminal justice today, including police officers, prison officials, defense attorneys, prosecutors, and judges. Joel is survived by his two sons (Adam and Luke); former spouse (Jennifer); four grandchildren (Ariana, Oscar, Laurel, and Brooke); two great-grandchildren (Stella and Julius); and two siblings (George William Samaha and Ann Samaha). He was preceded in death by his parents (George and Mildred) and a sister (Joan Blackburn). Memorial services are being planned for early 2025. In lieu of flowers, well-wishers may send donations in Joel's memory to charities of their choice.

Tributes

Joel Barket Samaha

May 28, 1936 - December 16, 2024

Tributes

Joel Barket Samaha

May 28, 1936 - December 16, 2024

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