Jacques Downs, 80; professor was expert on US trade in China

Jacques M. Downs of Kennebunkport, Maine, a longtime professor at the University of New England and a leading scholar on American trade in China, died Wednesday in Biddeford Pool, Maine, after a heart attack. He was 80.

A native of Detroit, Dr. Downs grew up in California. He earned bachelor's and master's degrees at the University of California, Berkeley, in the 1940s. Dr. Downs studied language at the US Army Language School and served in Berlin during the Korean War. He received his doctorate in US business history from Georgetown University in 1961.

Dr. Downs was a professor at the University of New England in Maine -- formerly known as the St. Francis College -- for more than 35 years. He helped bring Martin Luther King Jr. to the campus in the 1960s and supported the admission of women in the 1970s.

``There are two most important things about Jack Downs," said Fred Grant, a Boston attorney and fellow historian. ``First, he was the foremost authority on historical American trade with China, and second, he was extraordinarily generous."

Dr. Downs published several articles on trade and profiled the founders of many prominent Boston and Salem fortunes. His scholarship culminated with a 1997 book, ``The Golden Ghetto: The American Commercial Community at Canton and the Shaping of American China Policy."

Dr. Downs always had time to talk to other scholars, educate his students, and spend time with his family, according to his family and former students. ``He was a great mentor to his students," said his son, Jonathan. ``One of the things my father did was instill a love of education and learning. He had a fiercely loyal following."

Dr. Downs embodied the spirit of a New England liberal arts professor, his students said.

Martin Dunleavy, Dr. Downs's student from 1974 to 1981, recalled one particular class in which students would read a book on a historical topic each week. The small class would then meet at the Downs house and discuss the various topics over home-brewed beer, one of Dr. Downs's culinary passions. ``The book was just the takeoff point to discuss the topic," said Dunleavy. ``We were not doing a book report, we were sitting down and critically analyzing a topic and (Dr. Downs) was a participant in the discussion, not your teacher. It was a round-table discussion where everyone's opinion was valued."

In the 1970s, St. Francis College was a small college that served as home to many first-generation college students from blue-collar Irish, Italian, Polish, and French Canadian families, Dunleavy said. Dr. Downs commonly opened his home to his students.

``He was everything to his students and his students were everything to him," Dunleavy said. ``We were broke, many of us first-generation college kids, but we were always welcome in his home. There would always be something to eat, and you were made to feel at home and part of the family."

``I remember being 12 years old and having college students in my house," Jonathan Downs said. He said his father was always there for both his children and his students.

Dr. Downs's daughter-in-law, Andree Saulnier, said his following was largely due to the way he treated his students.

``He treated them with respect for their intellect, while they may have come from a place where they were perceived as working class `Joes,' " Saulnier said. ``He reached out to people's potential."

In addition to his son, Dr. Downs leaves his wife, Eva; a daughter, Andreae of Newton; a son, Alex, of Portland, Maine; and five grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. Oct. 7 at the University of New England.