James Walter Nordyke (Jim), 95

James Walter Nordyke (Jim) died on October 31, 2025. He was born in Rock Springs, Wyoming, on June 21. 1930, to Ray B. Nordyke and G. Marie (Perry) Nordyke. Jim graduated from the public high school in Plainview, Nebraska in 1948. He attended Stanford University from 1948 to 1952 and earned a bachelor’s degree in economics with high honors. He was in the U.S. Army from 1953 to 1955 serving as an intelligence specialist and receiving an honorable discharge. He was awarded a graduate student fellowship and research assistantship from Princeton University receiving a master’s degree in 1957 and a doctorate degree in 1959; both degrees were in economics. He taught economics at Kenyon College in central Ohio 1958 from to 1964.
In 1964 Jim joined the faculty of the Department of Economics at New Mexico State University (NMSU) in Las Cruces and remained there until retirement in 1992. He was Head of the Department of Economics from 1974 to 1988. He co-authored a textbook, Comparative Economic Systems, which went through several editions in the 1970s. He assisted in establishing the master’s degree in economics at NMSU in the 1960s and was instrumental in starting the undergraduate major in international business in the 1970s. During his tenure as Department Head, the number of faculty and the number of majors in the department increased considerably. He taught undergraduate and graduate students in economics at NMSU and a short course in Taiwan, China, in 1986. He was a frequent economics speaker at public events outside the university. In 1973 he received NMSU’s Westhafer Award for excellence in teaching, and in 1992 he was given the Cole Award for Service. The aspect of his work that he liked best was teaching, and he estimated that by the time of his retirement he had taught about 10,000 students at NMSU. In 2015, Jim was the recipient of the prestigious Traders Award from the NMSU College of Business.
Jim was widely known as an excellent teacher. Garrey Carruthers, Governor of New Mexico, Chancellor of NMSU, and former student of Jim said: “He was the best teacher I had at NMSU.”
In retirement Jim enjoyed many activities with his long-time companion, Inge Volpi. For many years he was a member and officer in the New Mexico chapter of Common Cause, and in the NMSU Pioneers.
Preceding Jim in death were his parents, his brother Andrew Lee, and his brother Aaron.
Survivors include Inge and her children Wolf, Ute, and Gunda and their children. Also Jim’s late brothers’, Andrew Lee and Aaron and their children.
In accordance with Jim’s wishes, cremation has taken place and no formal services are planned. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made by sending checks to The NMSU Foundation, P.O. Box 3590, Las Cruces NM 88003-3590 with the notation on the checks “For the James Nordyke Scholarship Fund”.