By Erin DostalThe Daily Northwestern

Despite taking Fall Quarter off last year due to a relapse in prostate cancer, sociology Prof. Charles Moskos will return to Northwestern this fall.

“We expected him to come back,” said Prof. Mary Pattillo, chairwoman of the sociology department. “We knew it might have been a bit optimistic.

“We’re happy that it’s happening.”

Pattillo said Moskos will be teaching two classes this fall: Introduction to Sociology, which is open to 600 students and will be held in Ryan Family Auditorium, and a 300-level course called Armed Forces and Society, which is open to 170 students.

“I know that he is one of the most beloved professors in the history of the university,” said Pattillo, an African-American Studies and sociology professor. “It is a privilege to be in the same department with him.”

Moskos, who has been teaching at NU since 1966, is best known for creating the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy in the U.S. military. The controversial policy allows gays to stay in the military as long as they don’t reveal their sexual orientation. The policy also prohibits military commanders from asking subordinates about their sex lives.

To explain why he favors the often maligned policy, Moskos has cited Winston Churchill’s view of democracy: “Democracy is the worst system possible, except for any other.”

An expert in military sociology, Moskos has visited the sites of just about every major U.S. conflict since Vietnam, including Somalia, Kosovo and Iraq. Though his work has taken him across the world, Moskos said he can still learn a thing or two from his NU students.

“I learn a lot from students when I talk to them,” he said. “I’ve had Arab students tell me about the Iraq constitution. I’ve had students in my military sociology course explain things to me that I didn’t know about the military. … There are lots of bright students.”

Margaret Lewis, a SESP sophomore, said she enjoyed Moskos’ Introduction to Sociology class because he always told interesting stories about his experiences.

“I really loved his class,” she said. “It was a really big class, but he was still really personable.”

Music senior Erik Anstine said he wished he could have taken more classes with Moskos during his undergraduate career, but that as a Music student, he never had room in his schedule.

“He got me interested in sociology,” he said.

Although he was unable to teach during Fall Quarter, Moskos currently researches with U.S. military advisers stationed in Iraq. He said they have been asking him to return since his last visit in 2004, but that health issues have kept him in the United States.

Moskos said he had always planned to return to campus, but that chemotherapy makes it difficult for him to travel long distances. He currently lives in Santa Monica, Calif., with his wife, Ilca, because the weather there is much nicer than in Chicago, he said.

Since his “retirement” in 2003, Moskos has only taught classes during the Fall Quarter. He said he will not return to teach during Winter or Spring quarters again.

“I can’t spend the winter in Evanston, come on,” he said. “That’s why we moved (to California).”

Moskos said though he hopes to return to campus to teach in 2008 as well, cancer has led him to focus on the present.

“God willing, (I will come back in 2008) as long as I’m up and about,” he said. “What’s nice about being a professor is when you begin to lose it nobody notices.”

Reach Erin Dostal at [email protected].