Robert A. Scalapino
Encyclopedia
Robert Anthony Scalapino (19 October 1919 – 1 November 2011) (Chinese name: 施伯樂) was an American
political scientist particularly involved in East Asian studies
. He was one of the founders and first chairman of the National Committee on United States – China Relations. Together with his co-author Chong-sik Lee, he won the 1974 Woodrow Wilson Foundation Award for the best book on government, politics, or international affairs as awarded by the American Political Science Association
. Scalapino's daughters include the renowned artist Diane Sophia and the poet Leslie Scalapino
(1944–2010).
Scalapino was born to Anthony and Beulah Stephenson Scalapino in Leavenworth, Kansas
, Kansas
. In 1940, he completed his bachelor's degree
at Santa Barbara College (now the University of California, Santa Barbara
) where he was student body president his last year. He married Ida Mae Jessen, the next year on 23 August 1941. Over time they had three children: Leslie, Diane, and Lynne. Scalapino received his master's degree
in 1943 and his doctorate
in 1948, both from Harvard
. During World War II
he served in U.S. Naval Intelligence
from 1943 to 1946, where he studied Japanese
. He reached the rank of lieutenant junior grade.
After graduating from Harvard, Scalapino remained there for a year teaching as an instructor, and then went to the University of California at Berkeley as an assistant professor in 1949. He achieved full professor status in 1956, and took emeritus
status in 1990. He was chair of Department of Political Science from 1962 to 1965. He founded and was the first director of the Institute of East Asian Studies, from 1978 to 1990. He sat on the board of directors of the Council on Foreign Relations
and was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
. He was editor of the scholarly journal, Asian Survey
, from 1962 to January 1996. Scalapino remained active into his late 80s, serving as a government consultant and testifying at Congressional hearings.
In 2010, The National Bureau of Asian Research
and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
, as part of the National Asia Research Program (NARP), created the Scalapino Prize in honor of Scalapino and his contributions to the field of Asian studies. The prize would be awarded to an outstanding scholar in the field of Asian studies every two years. The inaugural Scalapino Prize was awarded to David M. Lampton
in June 2010 at the 2010 Asia Policy Assembly.
He died of complications from a respiratory infection on 1 November 2011, at the age of 92.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
political scientist particularly involved in East Asian studies
East Asian studies
East Asian Studies is a distinct multidisciplinary field of scholarly enquiry and education that promotes a broad humanistic understanding of East Asia past and present...
. He was one of the founders and first chairman of the National Committee on United States – China Relations. Together with his co-author Chong-sik Lee, he won the 1974 Woodrow Wilson Foundation Award for the best book on government, politics, or international affairs as awarded by the American Political Science Association
American Political Science Association
The American Political Science Association is a professional association of political science students and scholars in the United States. Founded in 1903, it publishes three academic journals...
. Scalapino's daughters include the renowned artist Diane Sophia and the poet Leslie Scalapino
Leslie Scalapino
Leslie Scalapino was a United States poet, experimental prose writer, playwright, essayist, and editor, sometimes grouped in with the Language poets, though she felt closely tied to the Beat poets. A longtime resident of California's Bay Area, she earned an M.A. in English from the University of...
(1944–2010).
Scalapino was born to Anthony and Beulah Stephenson Scalapino in Leavenworth, Kansas
Leavenworth, Kansas
Leavenworth is the largest city and county seat of Leavenworth County, in the U.S. state of Kansas and within the Kansas City, Missouri Metropolitan Area. Located in the northeast portion of the state, it is on the west bank of the Missouri River. As of the 2010 census, the city population was...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
. In 1940, he completed his bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
at Santa Barbara College (now the University of California, Santa Barbara
University of California, Santa Barbara
The University of California, Santa Barbara, commonly known as UCSB or UC Santa Barbara, is a public research university and one of the 10 general campuses of the University of California system. The main campus is located on a site in Goleta, California, from Santa Barbara and northwest of Los...
) where he was student body president his last year. He married Ida Mae Jessen, the next year on 23 August 1941. Over time they had three children: Leslie, Diane, and Lynne. Scalapino received his master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in 1943 and his doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
in 1948, both from Harvard
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he served in U.S. Naval Intelligence
Office of Naval Intelligence
The Office of Naval Intelligence was established in the United States Navy in 1882. ONI was established to "seek out and report" on the advancements in other nations' navies. Its headquarters are at the National Maritime Intelligence Center in Suitland, Maryland...
from 1943 to 1946, where he studied Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
. He reached the rank of lieutenant junior grade.
After graduating from Harvard, Scalapino remained there for a year teaching as an instructor, and then went to the University of California at Berkeley as an assistant professor in 1949. He achieved full professor status in 1956, and took emeritus
Emeritus
Emeritus is a post-positive adjective that is used to designate a retired professor, bishop, or other professional or as a title. The female equivalent emerita is also sometimes used.-History:...
status in 1990. He was chair of Department of Political Science from 1962 to 1965. He founded and was the first director of the Institute of East Asian Studies, from 1978 to 1990. He sat on the board of directors of the Council on Foreign Relations
Council on Foreign Relations
The Council on Foreign Relations is an American nonprofit nonpartisan membership organization, publisher, and think tank specializing in U.S. foreign policy and international affairs...
and was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
. He was editor of the scholarly journal, Asian Survey
Asian Survey
Asian Survey is a bimonthly academic journal of Asian studies published by the University of California Press on behalf of the Institute of East Asian Studies at the University of California, Berkeley...
, from 1962 to January 1996. Scalapino remained active into his late 80s, serving as a government consultant and testifying at Congressional hearings.
In 2010, The National Bureau of Asian Research
National Bureau of Asian Research
The National Bureau of Asian Research is a nonprofit, nonpartisan research institution based in Seattle, Washington, with a branch office in Washington, D.C. The organization’s mission is to inform and strengthen Asia-Pacific policy...
and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars , located in Washington, D.C., is a United States Presidential Memorial that was established as part of the Smithsonian Institution by an act of Congress in 1968...
, as part of the National Asia Research Program (NARP), created the Scalapino Prize in honor of Scalapino and his contributions to the field of Asian studies. The prize would be awarded to an outstanding scholar in the field of Asian studies every two years. The inaugural Scalapino Prize was awarded to David M. Lampton
David M. Lampton
David M. Lampton is George and Sadie Hyman Professor of China Studies at Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies . He is Director of China Studies at SAIS. He is Former President of the National Committee on United States-China Relations in New York City...
in June 2010 at the 2010 Asia Policy Assembly.
He died of complications from a respiratory infection on 1 November 2011, at the age of 92.
Awards
- 1973 with Chong-sik Lee, the Woodrow Wilson Foundation Award for their book Communism in Korea
- 1976 honorary LL.D., Academia SinicaAcademia SinicaThe Academia Sinica , headquartered in the Nangang District of Taipei, is the national academy of Taiwan. It supports research activities in a wide variety of disciplines, ranging from mathematical and physical sciences, to life sciences, and to humanities and social sciences.Academia Sinica has...
(Taiwan) - 1983 honorary D.P.S., Hankuk University of Foreign StudiesHankuk University of Foreign StudiesHankuk University of Foreign Studies is one of the leading universities in the Republic of Korea.HUFS has been consistently ranked as one of the most prestigious higher education institutes in Korea, especially being ranked as a top in the field of Foreign Language...
(Korea) - 1989 honorary D.P.S., Kyung Hee University (Korea)
- 1988 Order of the Sacred Treasure (Japan)
- 1990 Presidential Order (Korea)
- 1990 Berkeley Citation, University of California at Berkeley
Selected publications
Scalapino published 540 articles and 39 books or monographs on Asian politics and United States–Asian policy, which include:- 1953 Democracy and the Party Movement in Pre-War Japan
- 1961 with George T. Yu The Chinese Anarchist Movement
- 1962 with Junnosuke Masumi Parties and Politics in Contemporary Japan
- 1967 The Japanese Communist Movement, 1920-1966
- 1972 with Chong-Sik Lee Communism in Korea
- 1972 Elites in the People's Republic of China
- 1975 Asia and the Road Ahead
- 1979 The United States and Korea: Looking Ahead
- 1983 The Early Japanese Labor Movement
- 1989 The Politics of Development: Perspectives on Twentieth Century Asia
- 1992 The Last Leninists: The Uncertain Future of Asia's Communist States
- 1997 North Korea at a Crossroads
- 2008 From Leavenworth to Lhasa: living in a revolutionary era
Further reading
- Scalapino, Robert A. (2008) From Leavenworth to Lhasa: living in a revolutionary era Institute of East Asian Studies, University of California, Berkeley, California, ISBN 1-55729-092-X
External links
- "Robert A. Scalapino biographic sketch" Institute for Corean-American Studies (ICAS)
- "Institute of East Asian Studies - University of California - Robert A. Scalapino" Vietnamese Professionals of America, VPA Inc.