Charles Ritcheson | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1925-02-26)February 26, 1925 Maysville, Oklahoma |
| Died | December 8, 2011(2011-12-08) (aged 86) Washington, D.C. |
| Occupation | historian,diplomat,university administrator |
| Genre | British history |
| Subject | 1760-1815 |
Charles Ray Ritcheson (26 February 1925 – 8 December 2011) was an American historian,diplomat, anduniversity administrator.
The son of Charles Frederick Ritcheson and Jewell Vaughn, Ritcheson was raised inOklahoma and attended theUniversity of Oklahoma. Interrupting his studies, he served in theU.S. Naval Reserve from 1942 to 1945, becoming aLieutenant, Junior Grade. When AdmiralElliott Buckmaster took command of Task Force 74 operating in the South China Seas, Ritcheson joined his staff as Signal Officer. After the end of the war, Ritcheson returned to his studies and obtained hisBachelor of Arts degree in philosophy and classics in 1946. After postgraduate study in history atZurich University in 1947 andHarvard University in 1948, he went toSt Edmund Hall, Oxford, where he was awarded hisD.Phil. in 1951 with a thesis on "The impact of the American problem on British politics, 1760–1780".
In 1951,Oklahoma College for Women appointed him assistant professor of history and then promoted him to associate professor in 1952.Kenyon College appointed him associate professor in 1953 and professor in 1960. In 1964–65, he served as chairman of the history department at Kenyon, before taking up an appointment as chairman and director of graduate studies in history atSouthern Methodist University, a position he held until 1970. During that period, he was also director of the Center for Ibero-American Civilization, 1967–68. In 1970–71, he served as director with rank of dean library advancement. In 1971–74, he served as Colin Rhys Professor of British History at theUniversity of Southern California, and then becamecultural attaché (Foreign Service Officer Grade 1) at theAmerican Embassy, London. Returning from his diplomatic assignment in the United Kingdom, he became Lovell Distinguished Professor, 1977–1984 and was awarded the university prize for creative scholarship. Between 1984 and 1990, he was the university professor, university librarian, and dean and special advisor to the university's president. Upon his retirement in 1990, the University of Southern California appointed him university professor emeritus, and university librarian and dean emeritus. In 2000, he was additionally appointed distinguished emeritus professor.
Ritcheson served as founding president of the Southern Conference on British Studies, 1967–70, and of the Pacific Coast branch Conference on British Studies, 1971–73, then executive secretary, National Conference of British Studies (today the North American Conference on British Studies), from 1973 to 1974. In 1978, he founded (with Sir John Plumb) the British Institute of the United States. He was twice a presidential appointee to theNational Council on Humanities, 1982–1986, and 1988–90, and a presidential appointee also to the board of foreign scholarships.
Ritcheson served as chairman, U.S.-U.K. Educational Commission, 1974–77, and official observer, British Bicentennial Liaison Committee, 1974–1976. He has been a member of the advisory council of theDitchley Foundation, 1974–2002, the international advisory council ofUniversity of Buckingham, member of the board of the Friends of the Royal Opera and Ballet, Covent Garden, and vice president of the American Friends ofCovent Garden, 1982–85. When he retired from the University of Southern California in 1991, he became executive vice-president of the not for profit Fund for Arts and Culture in Eastern Europe from 1991 to 1996, and was country director for Hungary and subsequently Poland. In 1997 he became executive vice president for planning for the Trust for Museum Exhibitions based in Washington, D.C.
Ritcheson is a member ofPhi Beta Kappa, Fellow of theRoyal Historical Society, a member of theTexas Institute of Letters, theSociété Française d'Archeologie,Association pour le rayonnement de l'Opéra national de Paris,Brooks's, theBeefsteak Club, London, and theCosmos Club, Washington, D.C.
Pe-Et Society (Oklahoma U.), 1943, Phi Beta Kappa (Oklahoma U., alumnus membership, 1961); Eli Lilly Research Fellow, 1954; research fellow, American Council of Learned Societies, 1955–57; Fulbright Scholar, Oxford University, 1949–50; Fulbright Professor, Edinburgh and Cambridge Universities, 1962–63; Honorary Fellow in History, University College, London, 1974; Watson Lecturer, Leicester University, 1975; Hon. Member, Senior Common Room, St. Edmund Hall, Oxford, 1974–77; Hon. D.Litt., Leicester U., 1976; honorary grant of arms by special command, the College of Heralds, London; the University Award for Creative Scholarship, USC, 1980; Citation by Korean Community of Southern California for founding the USC Korean Heritage Library; the Ritcheson Executive Suite, Leavey Library and portrait; and Ritcheson Special Collection funded by Friends of the USC Libraries; Crystal Book Award for founding Scriptor to recognize the year's best realization of a book in film; at his retirement from USC in 1990, Joint Resolution by the board of trustees, president, Faculty, and Student Body expressing thanks for his leadership in founding the modern USC Library System. University professor, university librarian and dean emeritus, 1990. In 1992, he was additionally named distinguished emeritus professor, and in 2000, USC gave him the Faculty Lifetime Achievement Award. The Ritcheson Fellowship in History atSt Edmund Hall, Oxford was named for Charles and Alice Ritcheson.
About 100 articles and reviews in learned journals.
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