Ezra Vogel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ezra Vogel
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Vogel at the National Library of China in 2013
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Ezra Feivel Vogel
July 11, 1930 Delaware, Ohio, US
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| Died | December 20, 2020 (aged 90) |
| Alma mater | |
| Awards | Guggenheim Fellowship for Social Sciences; Japan Foundation Prize 1996 |
| Scientific career | |
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| Doctoral advisor | Talcott Parsons |
Ezra Feivel Vogel (traditional Chinese: 傅高義; simplified Chinese: 傅高义; pinyin: Fù Gāoyì; July 11, 1930 – December 20, 2020) was an American expert on society. He wrote many books about modern Japan, China, and Korea. He worked both as a university professor and in government roles. He was a special professor at Harvard University.
His 1978 book, Japan as Number One: Lessons for America, was very popular. It sold many copies in both English and Japanese. His 2011 book, Deng Xiaoping and the Transformation of China, won an important award called the Lionel Gelber Prize.
About Ezra Vogel
Ezra Vogel was born in 1930 in Delaware, Ohio. His parents, Joseph and Edith Vogel, were Jewish immigrants. As a child, he helped his father in their family clothing store. It was called The People's Store.
He finished college at Ohio Wesleyan University in 1950. He stayed connected to his old college for his whole life. He gave money from his books to the university. He also visited the campus often.
Ezra joined the U.S. Army for two years. This was during the Korean War. He did not fight in battles. Instead, he worked in a hospital that helped soldiers with their minds.
After the army, Ezra went to Harvard University. He earned his PhD degree in 1958. He then spent two years studying in Japan. From 1960 to 1961, he taught at Yale University. But he soon returned to Harvard. There, he studied Chinese language and history. He became a professor at Harvard and stayed there until he retired in 2000.
Ezra Vogel was married to Charlotte Ikels. She was also a professor. He had three children with his first wife, Suzanne Hall Vogel. Their names were David, Steven, and Eve. Steven also became a political scientist.
Ezra Vogel passed away in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on December 20, 2020. He was 90 years old.
Ezra Vogel's Work
Ezra Vogel wrote many articles and books. These were about China, Japan, and how America related to countries in East Asia. He also helped organize meetings for scholars and leaders.
His first book, Japan’s New Middle Class (1963), was about families in Tokyo. He and his wife Suzanne learned about the lives of "salarymen" and their families. These were new groups after World War II.
Later, Vogel started studying China. He learned Chinese and read many newspapers. He also talked to people in Hong Kong. His book Canton Under Communism (1969) described the government in Guangdong province.
His 1979 book, Japan as Number One, became very famous. It talked about why Japan was doing so well in some areas. He wrote that Japanese people were modest about their success. He also said Americans found it hard to admit they could learn from others. This book was a best-seller in Japan. It also started many discussions among experts.
Vogel also researched other topics. These included how industries grew and how families changed. He studied political changes and safety issues in South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and all of East Asia.
He later focused on Deng Xiaoping, a famous leader in China. Vogel interviewed Deng's economic advisor. He used these talks to understand Deng's ideas. Even after retiring, Vogel kept writing. His last two books were Deng Xiaoping and the Transformation of China (2011) and China and Japan: Facing History (2019). He gave the money from the Chinese version of his Deng book to his old college, Ohio Wesleyan. This money helped students study abroad.
From 1993 to 1995, Vogel worked for the U.S. government. He was an intelligence officer for East Asia. In 1999, American forces accidentally bombed the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade. Vogel said it was hard to believe it was done on purpose. But he thought a "massive mistake" could have happened.
Starting in 2000, Vogel organized meetings. Chinese, Japanese, and Western experts came together. They studied World War II in East Asia. His goal was to help these countries become friends again. He wanted to solve old problems from that time. One book from these meetings was China at War: Regions of China, 1937–1945 (2007).
