Charles Ritcheson
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Charles Ritcheson | |
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| Born | February 26, 1926 Maysville, Oklahoma |
| Occupation | historian, diplomat, university administrator |
| Nationality |  United States |
| Genres | British history |
| Subjects | 1760-1815 |
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Influences
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Charles Ray Ritcheson (born 1926-02-26 in Maysville, Oklahoma) is an American diplomat, university administrator, and scholar of Anglo-American relations in the period 1760-1815.
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[edit] Early Life and Education
The son of Charles Frederick Ritcheson and Jewell Vaughan, Rictheson was raised in Oklahoma and attended the University of Oklahoma. Interrupting his studies, he served in the U.S. Naval Reserve from 1942 to 1945, becoming a Lieutenant, Junior Grade. After the end of the war, Ritcheson returned to his studies and obtained his bachelor of arts degree in 1946. After postgraduate study at Zurich University in 1947 and Harvard University in 1948, he went to St Edmund Hall, Oxford, where he was awarded his D.Phil. in 1951 with a thesis on "The impact of the American problem on British politics, 1760-1780".
[edit] Academic career
In 1951, Oklahoma College for Women appointed him assistant professor of history and then promoted him to associate professor in 1952. Kenyon College appointed him associate professor in 1953 and professor in 1960. In 1963-64, he was Fulbright professor at Cambridge University. In 1964-65, he served as chairman of the history department at Kenyon, before taking up an appointment as chairman and director of graduate studies in history at Southern Methodist University, a position he held until 1970. During that period, he was also director of the Center for Ibero-American Civilization, 1967-68. In 1970-71, he served as director with rank of dean Library Advancement. In 1971-74, he served as Colin Rhys Professor of British History at the University of Southern California, and then became cultural attaché at the American Embassy, London. Returning from his diplomatic assignment in the United Kingdom, he became Lovell Distinguished Professor, 1977-1984. Between 1984 and 1990, he was University Professor, University Librarian, Dean, Vice Provost, and special assistant to the university's president. In 1990, the University of Southern California appointed him University professor emeritus, and University Librarian emeritus. In 2000, he was additionally appointed distinguished emeritus professor.
Ritcheson served as president of the Southern Conference on British Studies, 1967-70, and of the Pacific Coast branch Conference on British Studies, 1971-73, then executive secretary, National Conference of British Studies, 1973-74. He was a presidential appointee to the National Council on Humanities, 1982-1986, board of foreign scholarships, 1986-88, National Council on Humanities, 1988-90.
Ritcheson served as Chairman, U.S.-U.K. Educational Commission, 1974-77, and official observer, British Bicentennial Liaison Committee, 1974-1976. He has been a member of the advisory council of the Ditchley Foundation, 1974-2002, the international advisory council of University of Buckingham, and vice president of the American Friends of Covent Garden, 1982-85. He served as the executive vice-president of the Fund for Arts and Culture in Eastern Europe, based in Paris, 1992-1996.
Ritcheson is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, a member of the Texas Institute of Letters, the Société Française d'Archeologie, L'Association pour le Rayment de l'Opera, Brooks Club, and the Beefsteak Club.
[edit] Honours
The University of Southern California awarded him the University Award for creative scholarship in 1980 and Leicester University has awarded him an honorary D.Litt. degree. The Ritcheson Fellowship in History at St Edmund Hall, Oxford is named for him.
[edit] Published Works
- British politics and the American Revolution, Norman : University of Oklahoma Press, 1954; Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1981.
- Aftermath of revolution: British policy toward the United States, 1783-1795, Dallas : Southern Methodist University Press, 1969.
- The American Revolution: the Anglo-American relation, 1763-1794: interpretive articles and documentary sources, Edited by Charles R. Ritcheson. Reading, Mass.: Addison-Wesley Pub. Co., [1969].
- Edmund Burke and the American Revolution, The Sir George Watson Lecture for 1976. [Leicester]: Leicester University Press; [Atlantic Highlands] N.J.:distributed by Humanities Press, 1976.
