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Frederick W. Mote

January 24, 2023

Frederick Wade "Fritz" Mote (June 2, 1922 – February 10, 2005) was an American sinologist and a professor of History at Princeton University for nearly 50 years. His research and teaching interests focused on China during the Yuan and Ming dynasties. In collaboration with Denis C. Twitchett and John K. Fairbank he helped create The Cambridge History of China, a monumental (though still incomplete) history of China.

Frederick W. Mote
Born(1922-06-02)June 2, 1922
Plainview, Nebraska, United States
DiedFebruary 10, 2005(2005-02-10) (aged 82)
Aurora, Colorado, United States
Alma materUniversity of Nanjing
University of Washington (Ph.D. 1954)
Scientific career
FieldsChinese history
InstitutionsPrinceton University
Doctoral advisorFranz H. Michael
Doctoral studentsGilbert Rozman
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese牟復禮
Simplified Chinese牟复礼
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinMóu Fùlǐ

Life and career

Mote was born in Plainview, Nebraska, one of ten children. In 1943 (during World War II) he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Force but was unable to go to flight school for medical reasons. Due to a college course he took in Chinese language the year before, the Air Force sent Mote to Harvard where he studied Chinese under John K. Fairbank for a year. In 1944, he joined the Office of Strategic Services (the war-time precursor to the CIA) as a noncommissioned officer, serving in the China-Burma-India theater of operations until 1946.[1]

After the war he enrolled in the University of Nanjing and graduated in 1948 with a degree in Chinese history. While the Chinese Communists took over Beijing in 1949, he was working as a language officer for the U.S. Embassy. Forced to leave China in 1950, he continued his studies in the United States at the University of Washington, earning a Ph.D. in 1954 with a dissertation entitled "T'ao Tsung-i and his Cho Keng Lu", a study of the 14th century writer Tao Zongyi (陶宗儀; 1321 – c. 1412). He was hired by Princeton University two years later and remained there until just a few years before his death (he retired from active teaching in 1987). During the 1960s, Mote was able to secure financial resources from the Rockefeller and Ford foundations so the Gest Library could obtain a valuable collection of Chinese documents. He was awarded Guggenheim Fellowships in two different years.

In 1980, Twitchett came to teach at Princeton and the two men worked closely together for the next eight years, co-editing volumes 7 and 8 of The Cambridge History of China. Curiously, both men had been part of Intelligence agencies during World War II. In addition to his work as an editor, Professor Mote wrote 23 different chapters in the books of the series. Near the end of his life he published the massive book Imperial China 900-1800 (1999) which sums up (and in a few cases updates) Volumes 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 of The Cambridge History of China series.

Mote married Ch’en Hsiao-Lan in China in 1950. She survived him after a marriage of 55 years.

Selected works

  • —— (1961). "The Growth of Chinese Despotism: A Critique of Wittfogel's Theory of Oriental Despotism as Applied to China". Oriens Extremus. 8 (1): 1–41. Review article on Karl August Wittfogel's Oriental Despotism: A Comparative Study of Total Power.
  • The Poet Kao Ch'i, 1335–1374 (1962). Princeton: Princeton University Press.
  • —— (1964). "The Case for the Integrity of Sinology". The Journal of Asian Studies. 23 (4): 531–534. doi:10.2307/2050234. JSTOR 2050234. S2CID 163521238.
  • Intellectual Foundations of China (1971). New York: Knopf.
  • (As translator): K. C. Hsiao, A History of Chinese Political Thought, Volume 1: From the Beginnings to the Sixth Century AD (1979). Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
  • The Cambridge History of China, Volume 7 - The Ming Dynasty, 1368 - 1644, Part I (edited by Mote and Twitchett) (1988)
  • The Cambridge History of China, Volume 7 - The Ming Dynasty, 1368 - 1644, Part II (edited by Mote and Twitchett) (1988)
  • Imperial China: 900–1800 (1999). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. [1]

References

Citations

  1. ^ Atwell 2005.

Sources

  • "Frederick Mote, key figure in advancing the study of China, dies", Princeton Weekly Bulletin, May 21, 2005
  • "Frederick W. Mote Scholar of Chinese Civilization". Washington Post. March 12, 2005. p. B06.
  • Atwell, William S. "Frederick W. Mote 1922-2005", The East Asian Library Journal 12, no. 1 (2006): 1-12, accessed August 29, 2016, [2]
  • Atwell, William (2005). "Frederick W. Mote". The Journal of Asian Studies. 64: 815–819. doi:10.1017/S0021911805002196.
  • Fong, Wen C. (2007). "Frederick Wade Mote, 2 June 1922 – 10 February 2005". Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society. 151 (2): 255–260. JSTOR 4599064.

January 24, 2023
frederick, mote, frederick, wade, fritz, mote, june, 1922, february, 2005, american, sinologist, professor, history, princeton, university, nearly, years, research, teaching, interests, focused, china, during, yuan, ming, dynasties, collaboration, with, denis,. Frederick Wade Fritz Mote June 2 1922 February 10 2005 was an American sinologist and a professor of History at Princeton University for nearly 50 years His research and teaching interests focused on China during the Yuan and Ming dynasties In collaboration with Denis C Twitchett and John K Fairbank he helped create The Cambridge History of China a monumental though still incomplete history of China Frederick W MoteBorn 1922 06 02 June 2 1922Plainview Nebraska United StatesDiedFebruary 10 2005 2005 02 10 aged 82 Aurora Colorado United StatesAlma materUniversity of NanjingUniversity of Washington Ph D 1954 Scientific careerFieldsChinese historyInstitutionsPrinceton UniversityDoctoral advisorFranz H MichaelDoctoral studentsGilbert RozmanChinese nameTraditional Chinese牟復禮Simplified Chinese牟复礼TranscriptionsStandard MandarinHanyu PinyinMou Fulǐ Contents 1 Life and career 2 Selected works 3 References 3 1 Citations 3 2 SourcesLife and career EditMote was born in Plainview Nebraska one of ten children In 1943 during World War II he enlisted in the U S Army Air Force but was unable to go to flight school for medical reasons Due to a college course he took in Chinese language the year before the Air Force sent Mote to Harvard where he studied Chinese under John K Fairbank for a year In 1944 he joined the Office of Strategic Services the war time precursor to the CIA as a noncommissioned officer serving in the China Burma India theater of operations until 1946 1 After the war he enrolled in the University of Nanjing and graduated in 1948 with a degree in Chinese history While the Chinese Communists took over Beijing in 1949 he was working as a language officer for the U S Embassy Forced to leave China in 1950 he continued his studies in the United States at the University of Washington earning a Ph D in 1954 with a dissertation entitled T ao Tsung i and his Cho Keng Lu a study of the 14th century writer Tao Zongyi 陶宗儀 1321 c 1412 He was hired by Princeton University two years later and remained there until just a few years before his death he retired from active teaching in 1987 During the 1960s Mote was able to secure financial resources from the Rockefeller and Ford foundations so the Gest Library could obtain a valuable collection of Chinese documents He was awarded Guggenheim Fellowships in two different years In 1980 Twitchett came to teach at Princeton and the two men worked closely together for the next eight years co editing volumes 7 and 8 of The Cambridge History of China Curiously both men had been part of Intelligence agencies during World War II In addition to his work as an editor Professor Mote wrote 23 different chapters in the books of the series Near the end of his life he published the massive book Imperial China 900 1800 1999 which sums up and in a few cases updates Volumes 5 6 7 8 and 9 of The Cambridge History of China series Mote married Ch en Hsiao Lan in China in 1950 She survived him after a marriage of 55 years Selected works Edit 1961 The Growth of Chinese Despotism A Critique of Wittfogel s Theory of Oriental Despotism as Applied to China Oriens Extremus 8 1 1 41 Review article on Karl August Wittfogel s Oriental Despotism A Comparative Study of Total Power The Poet Kao Ch i 1335 1374 1962 Princeton Princeton University Press 1964 The Case for the Integrity of Sinology The Journal of Asian Studies 23 4 531 534 doi 10 2307 2050234 JSTOR 2050234 S2CID 163521238 Intellectual Foundations of China 1971 New York Knopf As translator K C Hsiao A History of Chinese Political Thought Volume 1 From the Beginnings to the Sixth Century AD 1979 Princeton NJ Princeton University Press The Cambridge History of China Volume 7 The Ming Dynasty 1368 1644 Part I edited by Mote and Twitchett 1988 The Cambridge History of China Volume 7 The Ming Dynasty 1368 1644 Part II edited by Mote and Twitchett 1988 Imperial China 900 1800 1999 Cambridge MA Harvard University Press 1 References EditCitations Edit Atwell 2005 Sources Edit Frederick Mote key figure in advancing the study of China dies Princeton Weekly Bulletin May 21 2005 Frederick W Mote Scholar of Chinese Civilization Washington Post March 12 2005 p B06 Atwell William S Frederick W Mote 1922 2005 The East Asian Library Journal 12 no 1 2006 1 12 accessed August 29 2016 2 Atwell William 2005 Frederick W Mote The Journal of Asian Studies 64 815 819 doi 10 1017 S0021911805002196 Fong Wen C 2007 Frederick Wade Mote 2 June 1922 10 February 2005 Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society 151 2 255 260 JSTOR 4599064 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Frederick W Mote amp oldid 1117094051, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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