James McGann, senior lecturer of international studies at the Lauder Institute, director of the Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program, and senior fellow at the Fels Institute of Government, died on November 29. He was 66.

Dr. McGann earned his MA and PhD from the University of Pennsylvania. He was a National Fellow at Stanford University while writing his doctoral thesis, which examined the nature and evolution of public policy research organizations in the United States such as the Brookings Institution, the Heritage Foundation, RAND Corporation, the Urban Institute and others. He compared and contrasted the mission, structure and operating principles of these leading think tanks to determine how those factors influenced the institutions’ role in policymaking. His research and consulting enabled him to work with governments and civil society organizations in over 100 countries. He authored over 15 books on think tanks and was the creator and editor of the annual Global Go To Think Tank Index.

Dr. McGann previously served as assistant director of the International Relations Program at Penn. Earlier in his career, Dr. McGann served at the Pew Charitable Trusts and the Harvard University Institute of Politics, among other roles in the higher education and philanthropic sectors. His lifelong interest in think tanks arose from his doctoral dissertation, completed at Penn, which examined the evolution of some of the United States’ most influential think tanks, including the Brookings Institution, Heritage Foundation, and others. Dr. McGann was also affiliated with the Foreign Policy Research Institute in Philadelphia.

Dr. McGann served as a consultant and adviser to a range of organizations including the United Nations, the Carnegie Corporation, and the World Bank. Dr. McGann also created a global network of think tanks and was a sought-after thought leader on the challenges and opportunities facing the sector. Among his many passions, Dr. McGann was dedicated to mentoring interns and training the next generation of think tank scholars and staff. The Think Tanks program hosted hundreds of interns over the years, who stand as a significant part of his legacy.

Think tanks around the world expressed significant sadness at Dr. McGann’s passing, echoing the feelings of Heritage Foundation founder and former president Ed Feulner, who said, “Jim had a brilliant intellect, a big heart, and he desired to make the world a better place for all humankind. He achieved that in spades with the Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program that he created. That is the legacy he leaves to the world. He was a good friend of Heritage and of the think tank community, and he will be deeply missed.”

He is survived by his wife, Emily M. Cohen; daughter, Maya; siblings, Jack McGann (Linda), Loretta McGann, Katherine McMahon, and Barbara Maguire; sister-in-law, Amy Cohen (Noel Rubinton); and many nieces and nephews. His memorial service was on December 4.