John Gombojab Hangin

John Gombojab Hangin (1921 – October 9, 1989) was a notable Mongolian scholar. He authored several Mongolian dictionaries and textbooks and is credited by "The New York Times" with helping to establish recognition for the Mongolian People's Republic with the United Nations and the United States.

History

Hangin was born in Chakhar, Inner Mongolia to a prominent family who had long been active in the court. He was sent to Hokkaido Imperial University in Japan to study during World War II, afterward taking a position as a secretary in the government of Prince Demchugdongrub. After the Communists rose to power, he emigrated first to Taiwan, becoming a representative of Inner Mongolia for Chiang Kai-shek before relocating to the United States in 1949. In the US, he received a PhD from Indiana University. After graduation, he served on the faculties of several college, including Columbia University, Georgetown University and University of California at Berkeley, before settling at Indiana University.

Hangin acted as a conduit between Americans and Mongolians. "The New York Times", in its 1989 obituary, indicated that " [h] is efforts helped to lay the groundwork for recognition of the Mongolian People's Republic by the United Nations in 1961 and American recognition in 1987." [cite news | title = J. G. Hangin, 68, Professor, dies | work = The New York Times | url = http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DEED9143CF93AA25753C1A96F948260 | date = 1989-10-19 | accessdate | 2008-09-21] In addition to publishing several textbooks and dictionaries on the Mongolian language, Hangin also founded the Mongolia Society at Indiana Universality and established the Mongol-American Cultural Association (MACA).

He died of heart disease while doing research in Ulan Bator, Mongolia.

The Mongolia Society offers a scholarship in his name to Mongolian students who wish to study in the United States. [ [http://www.mongoliasociety.org/?q=section/2007102917.htm Dr. Gombojab Hangin Memorial Scholarship] mongoliasociety.org Retrieved 2008-09-21.]

Notes

ources

*Sh. Baatar, [http://intermongol.net/diaspora/stories/gombjab.html Yazguuryin Mongol Erdemten] . "Zamdaan". Hosted at InterMongol Network.

External links

* [http://www.maca-usa.org/macahistory.html MACA homepage]