- John Baptist Wolf
John Baptiste Wolf (
July 16 1907 -April 22 1996 ) was a historian, specializing in modern European history.Life
Born in
Ouray ,Colorado , onJuly 16 1907 , Wolf was the son of a German immigrant.Wolf received his B.A. and M.A. from the University of Colorado, then attended
Northwestern University , before entering the doctoral program at theUniversity of Minnesota . He received his doctorate in 1934 for a dissertation on the diplomatic history of theBaghdad Railway , published in 1936.Wolf began his teaching career at the University of Missouri in 1934, remaining there until 1943, when he took a position at the
University of Minnesota . In 1966 he moved to the University of Illinois, Chicago Circle, retiring in 1974 asprofessor emeritus .Wolf died of
leukemia onApril 22 ,1996 while living in a retirement community located near Syracuse. Writing his obituary ("AHA Perspectives" Dec. 1996), two of his students, Joseph Klait and John T. O'Connor, recalled "his wit, passion for history, and zest for life" that stimulated his classes.Work
Wolf published a number of important books, including "France, 1815 to the Present" (1940), "The Emergence of the Great Powers (1685-1715)" (1951), "Toward a European Balance of Power (1640-1720)" (1969) and his most important study, "Louis XIV" (1968).
In retirement Wolf published "The Barbary Coast: Algiers under the Turks, 1500-1730" (1979), which was translated into
Arabic . He was twice a fellow of theJohn Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation , first inParis (1959-60), then inMadrid (1967-68). For his work inFrench history , Wolf was decorated as aChevalier des Palmes Academiques by the French government in 1979. He was also president of theSociety for French Historical Studies (1968-69).
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