Bruce Merrill, 78, passed away on April 9, 2016. He had an undergraduate degree in mathematics and a master’s degree in political science from Brigham Young University. He later got a doctoral degree in political behavior from the University of Michigan, where he trained at the Institute for Social Research. Merrill joined ASU in 1970 and taught in the Department of Political Science, the Center for Public Affairs, the Department of Communication and the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication before retiring in 2008 as professor emeritus. He also served as a senior fellow at the Morrison Institute. Merrill was a respected figure in regional and national politics, conducting polling for more than 100 campaigns, which included President Richard Nixon and U.S. Sen. Barry Goldwater, Gordon Allott, Pete Domenici, Peter Dominick and John Tower, among others. In 1972, he received a presidential appointment from Nixon to the Population Advisory Committee, which directs the work of the Census Bureau. At ASU, Merrill was known for establishing the nonpartisan Cactus State Poll, later known as the Cronkite/Eight Poll, on Arizona PBS. The monthly poll has kept an accurate pulse of Arizona voters for more than 20 years. He joined the Cronkite School in 1988, using the poll as an educational tool that taught students how to design surveys and interpret data. He was a member of ASURA and led educational sessions at Retirees Day events in 2008 and 2009. Merrill is survived by his wife Janis Sandler Merrill, a daughter, a son, his wife’s three children and a host of grandchildren from both sides of the family.