[KS] Re: Michael Rogers

gkl1 at columbia.edu gkl1 at columbia.edu
Sun May 22 17:53:31 EDT 2005


I would like to bring to the attention of the Korean Studies List
the passing of our colleague Michael Rogers (1923-2005), late
professor of Korean Studies at Berkeley, who passed away a few
weeks ago after a long struggle with multiple myeloma cancer. Prof.
Rogers was my mentor and friend for many years. His scholarly work
covered both China and Korea. He was also very knowledgeable in
Tibetan and Mongolian history, having studied both of those
languages with the great master Ferdinand Lessing. His mastery of
related scholarship encompassed all three major East Asian
languages and most of the European ones including Russian.
   His Korea-related work consisted of a number of important studies
of Korea's diplomatic relations with Tang and Song China, and with
the Khitan and the Jurcen states of Liao and Jin, during the
Silla/KoryO period. They are unfortunately scattered over a number
of journals and conference volumes during the period of the 1950s
through the 1980s, but in their subtle explorations of these
relations, their careful historiographical analyses of the sources
on both the Korean and Chinese sides, and their very graceful prose
style, they will well repay the difficulty of digging them out of
the library. I will try to post a brief bibliography within the
next few weeks. He also compiled a grammar of Korean and
contributed to the development of Yonsei University's International
Studies program during a two-year residence there in the early
1990s.
   His beloved wife Francea ("Bobbie"), who accompanied him during
his Korea stint and also came to appreciate Korea and its
challenges, predeceased him by several years. He had six children.
   Those who might wish to send condolences can write to their 
daughter, Ms. Camilla Rogers, 230 Race Street, Grass Valley,
California 95945, or camilla at pacbell.net .

Gari Ledyard




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