Talk:Anatol Rapoport

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  • He was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in the 1980s, for his contribution to world peace through nuclear conflict restraint by his game theoretic models of psychological conflict resolution.

Being nominated for the Peace Prize is an honor, but it is not official and not necessarily prestigious. Any national legislator or about a third of the university professors in the world can make a nomination, and there have been as many as 140 some years. Nominators are requested to keep their nominations secret, so it's only those wishing publicity who make announcements. Altogether, I see no reason to keep it. No offense to the subject, this is a general Nobel Peace Prize "nominees" issue. -Willmcw 03:59, Jun 17, 2005 (UTC)

He invented the "tit for tat" strategy in cooperative games, winning a content with a 5-line FORTRAN program. see http://www.doyletics.com/art/teocart.htm and Robert Axelrod. (edward vielmetti)


here's the Ann Arbor News obit: ideas here to edit into the article.


Noted peace researcher Rapoport dies at 95 Ex-U-M professor helped organize teach-in against Vietnam War Wednesday, January 24, 2007 BY DAVE GERSHMAN News Staff Reporter

As a professor at the University of Michigan in the 1960s, Anatol Rapoport was an early critic of the Vietnam War, and one of the faculty members involved with the nation's first teach-in, held in Ann Arbor.

Rapoport, who moved his family to Toronto in 1970, died Saturday at the age of 95. But his passion is still felt in Ann Arbor.

Long after the conflict in Southeast Asia had ended, he was still motivated by the same spark. "He kept up his opposition to war throughout his life, said his son, Anthony. Advertisement



Rapoport was a professor of mathematical biology in the department of psychiatry at U-M. After leaving Ann Arbor, Rapoport taught at the University of Toronto, where he became the school's first professor of peace and conflict studies. In academia, he was highly-regarded for his research in the mathematical study of human decisions, and considered a leading peace researcher.

While at U-M in the mid-1950s, Rapoport was a founding member of the U-M Mental Health Research Institute.

Rapoport volunteered for military service after the attack on Pearl Harbor. He served as a supply officer in the U.S. Army Air Forces in Alaska and India during World War II. But during the years that followed, his views on war evolved as technology and the development of nuclear weapons made war more deadly and impersonal, said Anthony Rapoport.

The senior Rapoport was fond of saying "you don't have to hate anybody to kill everybody, his son recalled.

While at U-M in 1965, Rapoport was one of the faculty members who organized and participated in the first campus teach-in as an intellectual protest against the war. Rather than attend regular classes, students participated in anti-war seminars and rallies during the teach-in. The idea resonated on other campuses and similar events were spawned across the country.

Rapoport was a frequent speaker at rallies against the war. In April 1967, for instance, he was quoted in an Ann Arbor News article about a rally of 300 people outside city hall. "By undertaking the war against Vietnam, the United States has undertaken a war against humanity, Rapoport told the crowd that day. "This war we shall not win.

One of his colleagues at U-M, J. David Singer, a professor emeritus of political science, called Rapoport an important catalyst for peace activists on campus and a brilliant speaker. "He was an extremely responsible, honest guy, said Singer. "He did not fiddle with the truth.

The two professors were active in what was called the Center for Research on Conflict Resolution, founded to involve scientific evidence with national policy.

"We were not just a bunch of peaceniks, said Singer. "We were a bunch of peaceniks who were very critical of U.S. policy, and the criticism would range from moderate on my part, to extreme on his part.

Born in Russia, Rapoport moved with his parents to Chicago in 1922. He studied in Vienna to become a concert pianist in the 1930s before returning to his adopted hometown to follow a different pursuit and study mathematics at the University of Chicago.

Rapoport is survived by his wife, Gwen, and his three children, Anya, Alexander, and Anthony, all living in the Toronto area.

Dave Gershman can be reached at 734-994-6818 or dgershman@annarbornews.com.

But don't forget (as the Ann Arbor piece) did that Anatol had a full life in Toronto after he left Ann Arbor. That's been put into the current story, and needs to be kept in. Bellagio99 20:33, 30 January 2007 (UTC)

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