Robert Kiefer Webb (November 23, 1922 – February 15, 2012) was an American historian.Sandra Herbert,
In Memoriam: Robert K. Webb (1922–2012)
, ''Perspectives on History'' (1 November 2012). Webb was educated at

Oberlin College Oberlin College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college and conservatory of music in Oberlin, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1833, it is the oldest Mixed-sex education, coeducational lib ...

, taking his AB

summa cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some Sout ...

in 1947. He served in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

Artillery during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, rising to

master sergeant A master sergeant is the military rank for a senior non-commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries. Israel Defense Forces The (abbreviated "", master sergeant) is a non-commissioned officer () rank in the Israel Defense Force ...

. In 1951, he received a PhD from

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

. In his historical works, Webb focused on Britain's avoidance of revolution during the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, as well as religious dissent. In 1965, he translated

Élie Halévy Élie Halévy (; 6 September 1870 – 21 August 1937) was a French philosopher and historian who wrote studies of the British utilitarians, the book of essays '' Era of Tyrannies'', and a history of Britain from 1815 to 1914 that influenced Bri ...

's ''Era of Tyrannies: Essays on Socialism and War into English''. In 1992, he was honored with a ''

festschrift In academia, a ''Festschrift'' (; plural, ''Festschriften'' ) is a book honoring a respected person, especially an academic, and presented during their lifetime. It generally takes the form of an edited volume, containing contributions from the h ...

'', ''Religion and Irreligion in Victorian Society: Essays in Honor of R. K. Webb'' edited by R.W. Davis and R.J. Helmstadter. In 1995, he was elected an Honorary Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities as "the leading ally of Australian historians and the main proponent of Australian historical scholarship in the United States and, indeed, in Great Britain. His authority, integrity, great personal charm and wide acquaintance make him a powerful advocate for Australia in American and British scholarly circles."Australian Academy of the Humanities,
Robert K Webb 1922-2012
, "The Australian Academy of the Humanities Annual Report 2012-13" Webb was survived by his wife Patty Webb, their daughters Emily Martin and Margaret Pressler, and six grandchildren.

Works

*''The British Working Class Reader, 1790–1848: Literacy and Social Tension'' (1955). *''Harriet Martineau: A Radical Victorian'' (1960). * *''Modern England'' (1968). *(with Peter Gay), ''Modern Europe since 1815'' (1980).

Notes

External link

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Webb, Robert Kiefer 1922 births 2012 deaths 20th-century American historians Oberlin College alumni Columbia University alumni United States Army personnel of World War II 20th-century American male writers American male non-fiction writers Fellows of the Australian Academy of the Humanities