Man on the Moon
Professor who brought law to space continues to explore
By Nicole St. Pierre
Carl Q. Christol was thinking about the legal dilemmas outer space could pose for the world long before the U.S. government sent satellites into the sky or the United Nations began drafting treaties about claiming territory on the moon. Today, he is one of the foremost authorities in the complex field of international space law. That is one of the many reasons Christol was designated as a USC Distinguished Professor Emeritus of International Law and Political Science in 1990.
For nearly 40 years, Christol cultivated and shared his expertise on the international law of space, the marine environment and human rights with students at USC. He was instrumental in developing a series of courses on the politics of peace and human rights, which today remain a pertinent part of the College’s political science curriculum. Because of Christol’s foresight, the College was one of the first academic institutions in America to offer regular courses on human rights.
Known for his thought-provoking articles on space law, his pioneering research in the field began in 1962 while on the faculty at the U.S. Naval War College. There he wrote one of the first books written on the arcane subject that would later be widely studied by international law attorneys around the globe.
“His early vision to extending law into this new environment will no doubt affect the future of mankind,” says Nandasiri Jasentuliyana, president of the International Institute of Space Law, who presented Christol with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1998.
Throughout his career, Christol helped negotiate five major U.N. space treaties on issues such as the basic principles of exploration, and the exploitation of outer space and its natural resources. He has served as an international consultant on issues such as the rescue and return of astronauts in distress and space objects.
Christol’s resume includes a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Chicago and a law degree from Yale. The recipient of four of USC’s highest faculty honors, he was chair of the College’s political science department for six years. Christol was widely respected by students—receiving the student senate outstanding faculty award in 1981—and he is never hesitant to admit the fondness was mutual.
“I loved working with my students, challenging them to think and watching them learn,” says Christol, who taught primarily in the College but was also a lecturer in USC Law School, the USC School of Policy, Planning and Development, and the USC School of Social Work.
Although Christol retired from teaching at USC in 1987, he is currently nearing completion of his ninth book, “International Law and U.S. Foreign Policy.” It is intended to supplement existing books that do not cover the recent developments in international law and diplomacy that have surfaced since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
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