Bancroft Prize
1 appearances
William Leonard Langer
ウィリアム・レナード・ランガー
William Leonard Langer
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1896-03-16 （South Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.）
- Died
- 1977-12-26 （Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.） age 81
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English, German
- Religion
- Unitarian (indicated affiliation)
- Residence History
- South Boston (birthplace) → Worcester (Clark University) → Cambridge (Harvard University) → Washington, D.C. (wartime / government service)
Career
- Occupations
- historian, intelligence analyst, policy advisor, university professor
- Active Years
- 1920-1977
- Affiliations
- Harvard University, Clark University, Office of Strategic Services (OSS) — Research and Analysis Branch, Central Intelligence Agency (involved in establishment of the Office of National Estimates), American Historical Association, President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board (PFIAB)
- Memberships
- American Historical Association
- Influenced By
- Karl Ploetz and other European historians
- Influenced
- Peter N. Stearns and many later modern historians
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Latin School | — | — | — | — | United States |
| Harvard University | — | History | PhD | — | United States |
| Clark University (courses / teaching) | — | International relations (coursework) | — | — | United States |
Boston Latin School
Country:
United States
Harvard University
History
Degree:
PhD
Year of Graduation:
1923
Country:
United States
Obtained BA and PhD (PhD in 1923)
Clark University (courses / teaching)
International relations (coursework)
Country:
United States
Involved as instructor and student
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1946 | Medal for Merit | — | — | President of the United States (awarded by Harry S. Truman) | 受賞 |
| 1954 | Bancroft Prize | — | — | Columbia University | 受賞 |
| — | Honorary LL.D. | — | — | Harvard University (honorary degree) | 受与（名誉学位） |
| — | Honorary LL.D. | — | — | Yale University (honorary degree) | 受与（名誉学位） |
| 1955 | Honorary LL.D. | — | — | University of Hamburg (honorary degree) | 受与（名誉学位） |
| 1965 | Golden Plate Award | — | — | American Academy of Achievement | 受賞 |
Medal for Merit
1946
Organization:
President of the United States (awarded by Harry S. Truman)
Result:
受賞
Bancroft Prize
1954
Organization:
Columbia University
Result:
受賞
Honorary LL.D.
Organization:
Harvard University (honorary degree)
Result:
受与（名誉学位）
Honorary LL.D.
Organization:
Yale University (honorary degree)
Result:
受与（名誉学位）
Honorary LL.D.
1955
Organization:
University of Hamburg (honorary degree)
Result:
受与（名誉学位）
Golden Plate Award
1965
Organization:
American Academy of Achievement
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
With "E" of the First Gas (Gas and Flame in World War I)
1919 history / military historyA coauthored account and analysis of chemical weapons experience in World War I, based on his service and first-hand material.
World War Ichemical weaponsmilitary experience
An Encyclopedia of World History
1940 reference / encyclopediaA large-scale world history encyclopedia heavily revised from Karl Ploetz's work; it became a long-standing standard reference with multiple editions.
world historycompilationeducational reference
The Franco-Russian Alliance 1890–1894
1929 diplomatic history / modern historyA detailed study of Franco-Russian relations at the end of the 19th century, a major scholarly work that established Langer's reputation.
diplomatic history19th-century Europe
Our Vichy Gamble
1947 political history / policy analysisA book defending U.S. policy toward Vichy France during WWII; it provoked postwar controversy and mixed assessments.
World War IIforeign policyVichy France
In and Out of the Ivory Tower (autobiography)
1977 autobiographyLanger's autobiography, recording his academic career, government service, and wartime experiences.
autobiographyacademic lifeintelligence and policy experience
Bibliography
- With "E" of the First Gas (1919)
- An Encyclopedia of World History (1940, multiple editions)
- The Franco-Russian Alliance 1890–1894 (1929)
- European Alliances and Alignments 1871–1890 (1931)
- The Diplomacy of Imperialism, 1890–1902 (1935; 2nd ed. 1950)
- Our Vichy Gamble (1947)
- The Challenge to Isolation, 1937–1940 (1952, with S. Everett Gleason)
- The Undeclared War, 1940–1941 (1953, with S. Everett Gleason)
- Conyers Read, 1881–1959: Scholar, Teacher, Public Servant (1963)
- Political and Social Upheaval, 1832–1852 (1969)
- In and Out of the Ivory Tower (1977, autobiography)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- scholarly and systematic proseanalytical focus on diplomatic and international relationsempirical, source-based methodology
- Recurring Motifs
- analysis of diplomatic and alliance relationshipswar and policy decision-makingcompilation and synthesis of historical knowledge
Legacy
William L. Langer was a historian of modern European diplomacy and a wartime analyst who helped build the intellectual foundations of OSS and CIA analytic practice. His editorial work, including the World History encyclopedia, has been widely used and he left enduring influence in both academia and policy.
Academic Societies
- American Historical Association
Archives
- Harvard University Archives (related papers and materials)
In Popular Culture
- The OSS codename 'OSS 117' associated with Langer entered French popular culture due to an unrelated fictional character of the same code-name; the coincidence has been noted in popular accounts.
Trivia
- His OSS codename appears as 'OSS 117' in records; this has often been conflated with an unrelated French fictional character of the same codename.
- He served in a chemical warfare unit in World War I and later wrote about those experiences.
- He was married to philosopher Susanne K. Langer and had two sons.