Michael Lapidge facts for kids

Michael Lapidge (born February 8, 1942) is a famous scholar. He studies old Latin writings from the Middle Ages. These writings were mostly made in England during the Anglo-Saxon period (from 600 to 1100 AD). He is a retired Fellow of Clare College, Cambridge and a member of the British Academy. He also won the Sir Israel Gollancz Prize in 2009 for his important work.

Michael Lapidge's Education and Early Career

Michael Lapidge started his university studies at the University of Calgary. After earning his first degree there, he taught for three years. He then went to the University of Toronto in 1967. There, he began working on his advanced degree (Ph.D.) at the Centre for Medieval Studies.

For his Ph.D., he studied how old ideas traveled through time. He looked at ideas about the universe from ancient Greek thinkers. He traced how these ideas appeared in Latin poems from long ago. He also studied how they influenced writers in the Middle Ages. He finished his Ph.D. in 1971.

Teaching and Research at Cambridge

After his studies, Michael Lapidge became a Research Fellow in Cambridge. This meant he did special research projects. In 1974, he became a Lecturer at the Department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic, University of Cambridge. This department studies the history and languages of early England and Scandinavia.

He moved up in his career, becoming a Reader in 1988. Then, in 1991, he became the Elrington and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon. This was a very important teaching position. He held this role until 1998. During this time, he helped the department grow and made important changes to its teaching plans.

Later Career and Retirement

In 1999, Professor Lapidge left Cambridge. He became a professor at the University of Notre Dame in the United States. He taught there until he retired early in 2004.

Awards and Recognition

Michael Lapidge has received many awards for his work. In 2009, he won the Sir Israel Gollancz Prize from the British Academy. This award recognized him as a "world authority" on Anglo-Saxon literature. This means he is one of the best experts in this field.

He also received special degrees from universities. The University of Cambridge gave him a Doctor of Letters degree in 1987. In 2011, the University of Toronto gave him an honorary degree. He is also a member of important academic groups in Munich and Rome. He is also a vice-president of the International Society for the Study of Medieval Latin Culture.