Yale Bulletin and Calendar

March 7, 2003|Volume 31, Number 21|Two-Week Issue

President George W. Bush congratulates Donald Kagan at the Feb. 27 White House ceremony where the Yale historian received a National Humanities Medal.

Kagan awarded National Humanities Medal

Donald Kagan, the Sterling Professor of Classics and History and former dean of Yale College, was among eight recipients of the National Humanities Medal for 2002 awarded by President George W. Bush at a White House ceremony on Feb. 27.

The award citation noted Kagan's "distinguished scholarship on the glories of ancient Greece" as well as his contributions as a professor and writer, noting: "He has reminded generations of students and countless individuals of the vital legacy of classical civilization."

Kagan's four-volume study of Thucydides' "History of the Peloponnesian War" is considered a classic on the subject. In a 1994 review in Booklist, Kagan's history was described as "unmatched but by that of Thucydides himself," an accolade that was the consensus of scholars and critics. In addition to several other major works on the Greek and Roman Empires, Kagan has contributed to critically acclaimed anthologies on broader themes in Western civilization.

The Yale scholar has applied his extensive knowledge of classical history to understand contemporary diplomacy and international relations. His book, "While America Sleeps: Self-Delusion, Military Weakness and the Threat to Peace Today," which he wrote with his son Frederick Kagan in 2000, compares America's complacency following the end of the Cold War to that of Great Britain after World War I. A fervent call to arms and military preparedness, the book got renewed public interest following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11.

The historian's views on current events are frequently published in national magazines and newspapers, and he is often interviewed on television and the radio.

Kagan has been teaching at Yale since 1969. Throughout his Yale tenure, he has addition to serving as Yale College dean (1989-1992), he has been the acting director of athletics and master of Timothy Dwight College. He has twice chaired the classics department.

Kagan earned his bachelor's degree from Brooklyn College, a master's at Brown and his doctorate at Ohio State University. He taught at Ohio State, Pennsylvania State and Cornell universities before coming to Yale. At Cornell, he won two prestigious teaching awards, the first of many he has received over his career.

He received the DeVane Medal from the Yale chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for outstanding scholarship and teaching, and the Harwood Byrnes '08/Richard B. Sewall Teaching Prize on the recommendations of undergraduates. His "Origins of War" course has been a favorite among Yale students for more than 25 years.

Kagan was named the Richard M. Colgate Professor of History and Classics in 1979 and became the Bass Professor of History and Classics and Western Civilization in 1991. In 1995 he was named the Hillhouse Professor of History and Classics and in 2002 was awarded the Sterling Professorship, Yale's highest tribute to faculty members.

The historian's other honors include a Distinguished Alumnus Award from Brooklyn College and the Sidney Hook Memorial Award for Distinguished Contributions to the Freedom and Integrity of the Academy, which is given by the National Association of Scholars. He has received fellowships from the Center for Hellenic Studies, the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences. In 1996 he was a guest scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

"This is one of the nation's highest honors," said Jon Butler, chair of Yale's Department of History, in announcing to his colleagues that Kagan had won the National Humanities Medal. "The Department, the University and all of Don Kagan's colleagues take pride in the exceptional honor that has been bestowed on one of Yale's most distinguished historians, scholars and University citizens."

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