Marianas Variety

HAGÅTÑA — Historian Dr. Dirk Ballendorf passed away in his sleep on Monday morning, according to the University of Guam. He was 73.

Ballendorf, a professor of Micronesian Studies at the University of Guam for 30 years, authored 11 books and more than 200 articles on Micronesian History and Culture. His works include the co-authoring of “A Secret Guam Study,” which required him to sue the Departments of State, Interior, and Defense for documents relating to the political status of Guam.

Ballendorf is survived by his wife Francesca “Paka” Remengesau, daughter Heidi — Guam Waterworks Authority’s marketing administrator — and son Hans.

Ballendorf served as the president of the College of Micronesia at Pohnpei in the Eastern Caroline Islands in 1977, and then joined the University of Guam in 1979 as director of the Micronesian Area Research Center.

Born in Philadelphia in 1939, Ballendorf received his education at Pennsylvania State College in Westchester and Ateneo de Manila in the Philippines while serving as a Peace Corps volunteer. He received his master’s degree in history from Howard University in Washington D.C. and a doctorate degree in planning and administration from Harvard.  

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