Colin Beckles, WSU Professor, Dead At 34 In Apparent Suicide

SPOKANE - Colin Beckles, a Washington State University professor and social-justice activist, has died in an apparent suicide. He was 34.

Mr. Beckles was found dead in his home Wednesday. No further information on the death was released.

An assistant professor in WSU's Department of Comparative American Cultures, Mr. Beckles focused much of his teaching and research on the social situation of black Americans.

He joined student leaders in calling on WSU administrators to push for a more diversified campus.

Mr. Beckles also campaigned against Initiative 200, the state ballot measure voters adopted last fall that essentially ended affirmative action in school admissions and government contracting and hiring.

"Anything that had to do with social justice, he was right there," said Jai Elliott, director for recruitment and retention at WSU's College of Business.

Mr. Beckles came to WSU from California in 1995. He had served as co-chair of the African American Faculty/Staff Association. He recently moved from Pullman to Spokane, where he was editor of the city's African-American Voice newspaper.

His wife, Maria Cueva Beckles, is a WSU graduate student in sociology who lives in Pullman.

A memorial service was scheduled for tomorrow at St. James Episcopal Church in Pullman.