Peter A. Boodberg
Encyclopedia
Peter Alexis Boodberg in American spelling, (April 8, 1903 - June 29, 1972) (originally Baron Peter A. von Budberg) was an American sinologist of Russia
n origin.
Boodberg came from a Baltic German
family that had lived in Estonia
for centuries. They traced their origins to 1006, to German emigrants from Mainz
to Estonia
in the thirteenth century. After Russia annexed Estonia in 1721, they became a prominent diplomatic and military family in Imperial Russia.
Boodberg was born in Vladivostok
, where his father was commanding general of the Russian forces. At the outbreak of World War I
, he was a cadet at a military school in St. Petersburg. In 1915, he and his brother were sent for safety to Harbin
in Manchuria
, where he began the study of philology
. From there, he went to the Oriental Institute
in Vladivostok and studied Chinese
. In the summer of 1920, he left Russia and moved to San Francisco, where his family soon joined him; he enrolled in the University of California, Berkeley
, getting a B.A.
in Oriental Languages in 1924 and a Ph.D.
in 1930. In 1932, Berkeley hired him as an Instructor in Oriental Languages; he became an Associate Professor in 1937, Chairman of the department in 1940, and Full Professor in 1948, winning Guggenheim Fellowship
s in 1938, 1956, and 1963, in the latter year becoming President of the American Oriental Society
. He continued to teach until his death (of a heart attack) in 1972, influencing several generations of sinologists, notably Edward H. Schafer
, who wrote a long obituary article in the Journal of the American Oriental Society that was followed by a full bibliography by Alvin P. Cohen.
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n origin.
Boodberg came from a Baltic German
Baltic German
The Baltic Germans were mostly ethnically German inhabitants of the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, which today form the countries of Estonia and Latvia. The Baltic German population never made up more than 10% of the total. They formed the social, commercial, political and cultural élite in...
family that had lived in Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
for centuries. They traced their origins to 1006, to German emigrants from Mainz
Mainz
Mainz under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire...
to Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
in the thirteenth century. After Russia annexed Estonia in 1721, they became a prominent diplomatic and military family in Imperial Russia.
Boodberg was born in Vladivostok
Vladivostok
The city is located in the southern extremity of Muravyov-Amursky Peninsula, which is about 30 km long and approximately 12 km wide.The highest point is Mount Kholodilnik, the height of which is 257 m...
, where his father was commanding general of the Russian forces. At the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, he was a cadet at a military school in St. Petersburg. In 1915, he and his brother were sent for safety to Harbin
Harbin
Harbin ; Manchu language: , Harbin; Russian: Харби́н Kharbin ), is the capital and largest city of Heilongjiang Province in Northeast China, lying on the southern bank of the Songhua River...
in Manchuria
Manchuria
Manchuria is a historical name given to a large geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria usually falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is sometimes divided between China and Russia. The region is commonly referred to as Northeast...
, where he began the study of philology
Philology
Philology is the study of language in written historical sources; it is a combination of literary studies, history and linguistics.Classical philology is the philology of Greek and Classical Latin...
. From there, he went to the Oriental Institute
Far Eastern National University
Far Eastern Federal University is an institution of higher education located in Vladivostok, Russia. Established in 1899, the university was closed in the late 1930s under Joseph Stalin, and reopened in 1956, two years after Nikita Khrushchev visited Vladivostok...
in Vladivostok and studied Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
. In the summer of 1920, he left Russia and moved to San Francisco, where his family soon joined him; he enrolled in the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
, getting a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Oriental Languages in 1924 and a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in 1930. In 1932, Berkeley hired him as an Instructor in Oriental Languages; he became an Associate Professor in 1937, Chairman of the department in 1940, and Full Professor in 1948, winning Guggenheim Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowships are American grants that have been awarded annually since 1925 by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts." Each year, the foundation makes...
s in 1938, 1956, and 1963, in the latter year becoming President of the American Oriental Society
American Oriental Society
The American Oriental Society was chartered under the laws of Massachusetts on September 7, 1842. It is one of the oldest learned societies in America, and is the oldest devoted to a particular field of scholarship....
. He continued to teach until his death (of a heart attack) in 1972, influencing several generations of sinologists, notably Edward H. Schafer
Edward H. Schafer
Edward Hetzel Schafer, was a leading historian of Tang Dynasty China. He wrote ground-breaking works such as The Golden Peaches of Samarkand: A study of Tang exotics and The Vermilion Bird: T'ang images of the South. Schafer wrote his Ph.D...
, who wrote a long obituary article in the Journal of the American Oriental Society that was followed by a full bibliography by Alvin P. Cohen.
Partial bibliography
- "Some Proleptical Remarks on the Evolution of Archaic Chinese". Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies 2 (1937), 329-372.
- "'Ideography' or Iconolatry?", Toung Pao, 35 (1940), 266-288.
- "The Chinese Script: An Essay on Nomenclature (the First Hecaton)". Bulletin of the Institute of History and Philology, Academia Sinica 39 (1957), 113-120
- "The Language of the T’o-Pa Wei"
- "Two Notes on The History of The Chinese Frontier"
- "Marginalia to The Histories of The Northern Dynasties"
- "Chinese Zoographic Names as Chronograms"
- "An Early Mongolian Toponym", Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies 19 (Dec. 1956), 407-408
- "Philological Notes on Chapter One of The Lao Tzu"
- Alvin P. Cohen (ed.), Selected Works of Peter A. Boodberg. University of California Press 1979 (Review)