Arnold Trebach, one of URC’s founders, passed away July 21, 2020 at age 92. Arnie – an incredible visionary and humanitarian – was a PhD social scientist, a civil rights lawyer, and a tireless advocate for the underserved.
As a trailblazer in his many professional pursuits, Arnie in the 1960s spearheaded the creation of University Research Co., LLC (URC), a consulting firm specializing initially in the execution of government contracts that sought to lift the poor and minorities from ingrained patterns of poverty and crime.
As URC’s first senior-executive officer, Arnie led the development and growth of URC to a position of prominence in the field of social problem consulting. He directly supervised research and educational programs in pursuit of justice. The work required extensive travel throughout the United States to observe the day-to-day realities of criminal justice and social welfare problems.
Arnie was involved in so many social justice efforts it would take pages to list them. He found it hard to list his many accomplishments in a traditional CV so being the great storyteller that he was, he wrote a personal document outlining his work. In this interview after publication of one of his books, Arnie discusses his work with the civil rights movement in the 1960s. Clearly, he was ahead of his time.
Following his work with URC, Arnie established the Institute on Drugs, Crime and Justice at American University in 1973. The institute (now the Institute for Justice at American University) provided a mix of practical and theoretical education for professionals involved in criminal justice. In 1986, he founded the Drug Policy Foundation, which he ran for many years. He wrote four books on better drug policies and criminal justice focusing on the underprivileged.
Arnie was a man of utmost intelligence, compassion, and integrity. We at URC honor his commitment and legacy and work hard to carry on his advocacy for the underserved.
