John Esterline; Political Sciences Professor

John Esterline, 80, former Cal Poly Pomona political science professor who advocated reactivation of diplomatic ties with Vietnam. Esterline was head of the school’s political science department from 1971 until 1980 and taught there from 1970 until June. He was active in the Assn. for Asian Studies, the American Political Science Assn. and the Inland World Affairs Council in Riverside. He and his wife, Mae, traveled to Hanoi in 1987. They co-authored such books as “How the Dominoes Fell: Southeast Asia in Perspective” and “Inside Foreign Policy.” Prior to his teaching years, Esterline spent 20 years in the U.S. Foreign Service, with posts in the United Arab Republic, the Philippines and Calcutta as well as the United States. On Friday in Claremont of cancer.