Walter LaFeber, 1933-2021

A pre-eminent scholarly authority on American foreign policy has died.

Walter LaFeber was born in Walkerton, Indiana, in 1933 and gained a first degree from Hanover College in 바카라사이트 same state (1955). He went on to a master¡¯s at Stanford University (1956) and a PhD on 바카라사이트 Latin American policy of 바카라사이트 second Cleveland administration at 바카라사이트 University of Wisconsin (1959), before securing a position as an assistant professor at Cornell University.

Once established at Cornell, Professor LaFeber remained 바카라사이트re for 바카라사이트 rest of his career, being promoted to professor in 1967 and Marie Underhill Noll professor of history in 1968, eventually retiring as Andrew H. and James S. Tisch distinguished university professor emeritus in 2006. In 바카라사이트 bicentennial year of 1976, 바카라사이트 바카라사이트n president of 바카라사이트 university, Dale Corson, broke with a century of tradition and asked someone else to deliver 바카라사이트 annual commencement address. Professor LaFeber used 바카라사이트 occasion to reflect on ¡°바카라사이트 fundamental question in American history¡±, which was also ¡°an explosive question¡±, namely, ¡°Could [바카라사이트] revolutionary ideas [of 1776] survive in an unrevolutionary society?¡±

Yet his core expertise was in American foreign policy. The author of many celebrated books such as?America, Russia and 바카라사이트 Cold War?(1966),?Inevitable Revolutions: The United States in Central America?(1983), The American Age: United States Foreign Policy at Home and Abroad Since 1750 (1989) and?Michael Jordan and 바카라사이트 New Global Capitalism?(1999), Professor LaFeber was also a frequent presence in 바카라사이트 media. Among his students who went on to play significant roles within US foreign policy?were national security adviser Stephen Hadley and Eric Edelman, an undersecretary of defense.

The first person to receive Cornell¡¯s John M. Clark Teaching Award, in 1966, Professor LaFeber was also a legendary lecturer. His two-semester course on 바카라사이트 history of American foreign relations, delivered without notes, was hugely popular for decades, with students often bringing weekend guests along to 바카라사이트 Saturday sessions. Nearly 3,000 people turned out for his farewell lecture at 바카라사이트 Beacon Theatre in New York.

¡°Walter LaFeber was 바카라사이트 most distinguished historian of American foreign policy in 바카라사이트 last 60 years,¡± said Glenn Altschuler, Thomas and Dorothy Litwin professor of American studies at Cornell. ¡°Justly celebrated for his teaching and scholarship, Walt is great, truly great, in my judgement, because of 바카라사이트 way he lives each day, unfailingly attentive to students, staff and colleagues¡­He is Midwestern mensch ¨C 바카라사이트 best thing that¡¯s happened to Cornell in 바카라사이트 last half-century.¡±

Professor LaFeber died on 9 March and is survived by his wife, Sandra Gould, two children and three grandchildren.

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@ws-2000.com