Elmore Harris Harbison (1907–1964) was an American historian and scholar on the topic of
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesu ...
and history. He was the
Henry Charles Lea
Henry Charles Lea (September 19, 1825 – October 24, 1909) was an American publisher, civic activist, philanthropist and historian from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
He took over the family publishing business from his father, Isaac Lea, and imp ...
Professor of History at
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the n ...
and a trustee of the
Princeton Theological Seminary
Princeton Theological Seminary (PTSem), officially The Theological Seminary of the Presbyterian Church, is a private school of theology in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1812 under the auspices of Archibald Alexander, the General Assembly o ...
.
Personal life
E. Harris Harbison was born to Ralph Warner Harbison and Helen Mary Harris (the daughter of
Elmore Harris of Toronto, Ontario) in 1907 in
Sewickley, Pennsylvania. He married Janet German in 1937 and had a son,
John Harris Harbison, a distinguished composer, and two daughters, Helen and Margaret. Helen was once engaged to Iranian-American scholar
Ervand Abrahamian
Ervand Abrahamian; hy, Երուանդ Աբրահամեան (born 1940) is an Iranian-American historian of the Middle East. He is Distinguished Professor of History at Baruch College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York ...
.
Academic Study
Harbison received his bachelor's in history from Princeton University in 1928 and was the valedictorian of his class. He continued on to
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...
and in 1938 earned his doctorate for his dissertation ''Rival Ambassadors in the Court of Queen Mary''. The dissertation later won an
Adams Prize from the
American Historical Association
The American Historical Association (AHA) is the oldest professional association of historians in the United States and the largest such organization in the world. Founded in 1884, the AHA works to protect academic freedom, develop professional s ...
.
He joined Princeton as a faculty member in 1933 and became a trustee of the Princeton Theological Seminary in 1951. He served on several committees and boards dedicated to religious scholarly study
A national teaching award is named in his honor.
Publications
Books
* ''Rival Ambassadors at the Court of Queen Mary'' (1940)
* ''The Age of Reformation'' (1955)
* ''The Christian Scholar in the Age of Reformation'' (1956)
* ''Christianity and History'' (1964)
Articles
* "The Meaning of History and the Writing of History." ''Church History''. 2.21 (1952): 97-107
References
External links
DR. E. H. HARBISON OF PRINCETON DIES' obituary in ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
,'' 15 July 1964
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harbison, E. Harris
1907 births
1964 deaths
People from Sewickley, Pennsylvania
Princeton University faculty
Harvard University alumni
Princeton University alumni