John Whitney Hall facts for kids

John Whitney Hall (born September 13, 1916 – died October 21, 1997) was an American expert on Japanese history. He focused on Japan's past, long before modern times. The Japanese government honored him for his important work. They gave him a special award called the Order of the Sacred Treasure.

Growing Up and School

John Whitney Hall was born in Kyoto, Japan, in 1916. His parents were missionaries, people who travel to share their beliefs. He lived in Japan until he was a teenager.

Later, Hall moved to the United States. He went to Phillips Andover Academy in Andover, Massachusetts. After that, he studied at Amherst College. He earned his first degree in 1939.

He then went back to Japan. He taught English at Doshisha University in Kyoto until 1941. During World War II, he served in the United States Navy. He worked in intelligence and became a Lieutenant Commander.

After the war, Hall continued his studies. He earned his Ph.D. (a very high degree) in 1950. He studied East Asian languages and literature at Harvard University. There, he learned from Edwin O. Reischauer, another important Japan scholar.

Becoming a Japan Expert

John Whitney Hall was known for helping to build up the study of Japan. This was especially true after World War II. A newspaper, New York Times, called him an "academic entrepreneur." This means he was like a business leader in the world of learning. He helped create new ways to study Japan.

He connected historians in Japan with those in Western countries. One of his former students, Harry Harootunian, explained Hall's goal. He said Hall wanted to make the study of Japan less "exotic." This meant helping people see Japan as closer and more understandable.

Hall himself said he was fascinated by how Japan's government and society changed. He wanted to understand how this "Eastern" culture became a modern world power.

Studying Japan's Past

In 1948, Professor Hall started teaching at the University of Michigan. This was one of the few places in America with a strong Japanese studies program. He later became the director of the Center for Japanese Studies.

He also helped start the first American research project in Japan after the war. This project had a research station in Okayama. In 1952, Professor Hall spent a year there. He was the first person to study the old records of a daimyo family. Daimyo were powerful lords who ruled parts of Japan long ago.

Hall became an expert on Japan's early modern period (1600-1868). He found that this time was not backward, as some thought. Instead, he saw the beginnings of Japan's future growth and modernization. His earliest book was about a leader named Tanuma Okitsugu. He also studied the Kamakura period in Japanese history.

Teaching at Yale University

In 1961, John Whitney Hall joined Yale University. He became the A. Whitney Griswold Professor of History. He held this important position until he retired in 1983.

Five years after joining Yale, he published his most famous book. It was called Government and Local Power in Japan, 500 to 1700. This book explored the history of Okayama during that time. Many say it helped English speakers understand the first thousand years of Japanese history. Even today, many experts still find his book very important.

While at Yale, Hall led the history department from 1973 to 1976. He also chaired the East Asian Languages and Literatures Department. After he retired, Yale started the John W. Hall Lecture Series in Japanese Studies. This series honors his memory.

Leading Japanese Studies Organizations

During the 1960s and 1970s, Professor Hall became a leader in many groups. These groups worked to build up the field of Japanese studies. They tried to get support from universities, foundations, and the Japanese government.

Professor Hall was chairman of several important groups, including:

• The Japan-United States Friendship Commission
• The United States-Japan Conference on Educational and Cultural Interchange
• The Social Science Research Council/Joint Committee on Japanese Studies.

He also worked closely with the Japan Foundation. This group was set up by the Japanese government in the 1970s. It helped American universities create programs to study Japan. The Japan Foundation gave a lot of money to major universities for this purpose. Hall received the Japan Foundation Award in 1976 for his efforts.

Honors and Awards

John Whitney Hall received many awards for his important work.

• In 1987, he won the American Historical Association's Award for Scholarly Distinction.
• He received the Order of the Sacred Treasure from the Japanese government.
• He was given the Japan Foundation Award.
• He served as President of the Association for Asian Studies in 1967.

John Whitney Hall Book Prize

The Association for Asian Studies (AAS) created a special award in his honor. It is called the John Whitney Hall Book Prize. Since 1994, this prize has been given every year. It recognizes an outstanding book written in English about Japan or Korea.