Levenson, Joseph Richmond, 1920-1969

Professor of history, University of California, Berkeley.

From the description of Joseph Richmond Levenson papers, [ca. 1954-1969]. (University of California, Berkeley). WorldCat record id: 25616485

Biographical Sketch

Joseph R. Levenson was born on June 10, 1920, in Boston, Massachusetts. He attended Boston Latin School (1931-1937) and Harvard University, graduating magna cum laude in June 1941. In September he became a graduate student in Harvard's History Department, but with U.S. entrance into World War II, Levenson spent the next five years in the Navy. In 1946 he returned to Harvard and was awarded his A.M. in 1947 and his Ph.D. two years later, having written his dissertation on Liang Ch'i-ch'ao under the direction of John K. Fairbank. After spending three years as a Junior Fellow of Harvard's Society of Fellows (1948-1951), he accepted an assistant professorship at the University of California, Berkeley, where he remained the rest of his distinguished career. In 1965 he was appointed Sather Professor of History. Levenson died in a boating accident on April 6, 1969.

During Levenson's lifetime, five of his books were published, including Liang Ch'i-ch'ao and the Mind of Modern China and the three volumes comprising the trilogy, Confucian China and Its Modern Fate. Another four books were published posthumously. In addition he published thirty-six articles and numerous book reviews.

From the guide to the Joseph Richmond Levenson Papers, [ca. 1954-1969], (The Bancroft Library)