This week we honor the life and passing of Dr. Margaret Daly Hayes, a pioneering intellectual and leader whose vision, values, and steadfast dedication shaped the very foundation of what is now the William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies.

As a respected scholar of US–Latin American political economy and security issues, Dr. Daly Hayes was appointed as the Center’s inaugural Director on December 8, 1997. Before her role at the Perry Center, she served as Vice President of Evidence-Based Research, Inc., where she led studies on US naval and air cooperation with Latin America. She also contributed as a visiting fellow at the Center for Naval Analyses in Arlington, Virginia.

Her earlier career included service as External Relations Advisor at the Inter-American Development Bank, Director of the Washington Office of the Council of the Americas, Senior Western Hemisphere staff person on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Associate Director of the Center for Brazilian Studies at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, and Senior Analyst in the Policy Sciences Division at CACI, Inc., where she worked on Panama.

Dr. Daly Hayes’ contributions and her enduring legacy on hemispheric defense education and regional stability continue to guide our work and inspire our Perry Center community of practice. The Perry Center’s faculty and staff extend our appreciation and condolences to all who worked with and learned from Dr. Daly Hayes and to all who were touched by her lifelong service.