John Horace Parry
CMG,
MBE Mbe may refer to:
* Mbé, a town in the Republic of the Congo
* Mbe Mountains Community Forest, in Nigeria
* Mbe language, a language of Nigeria
* Mbe' language, language of Cameroon
* ''mbe'', ISO 639 code for the extinct Molala language
Molal ...
(
Handsworth,
Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1. ...
, England, 26 April 1914 –
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As part of the Boston metropolitan area, the cities population of the 2020 U.S. census was 118,403, making it the fourth most populous city in the state, behind Boston ...
, 25 August 1982) was a distinguished maritime historian, who served as
Gardiner Professor of Oceanic History and Affairs The Gardiner Chair of Oceanic History and Affairs was established at Harvard University in 1948.
The chair is named in honor of William Howard Gardiner (died, New York City, 21 June 1952), a publicist and advocate of the importance of sea power, wh ...
at
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 ...
.
Early life and education
John Parry was the son of a teacher, Walter Austin Parry and his wife Ethel Piddock. He was educated at
Clare College, Cambridge
Clare College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. The college was founded in 1326 as University Hall, making it the second-oldest surviving college of the University after Peterhouse. It was refound ...
, where he also completed his PhD in history in 1938. On 18 March 1938, he married Joyce Carter. Together they had three daughters and a son. His academic career was interrupted by World War II, during which he served as an officer in the Royal Navy in 1940–1945, rising to become a lieutenant-commander. He was torpedoed three times. For his war service, he was appointed as a
Member of the Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
in 1942.
Academic career
Upon demobilization, Parry returned to
Clare College, Cambridge
Clare College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. The college was founded in 1326 as University Hall, making it the second-oldest surviving college of the University after Peterhouse. It was refound ...
, where he was tutor in history 1945–1949. He served additionally as senior proctor, 1947–48 and university lecturer in history, 1946–1949. In 1949, he was appointed professor of modern history at the newly established
University College of the West Indies
The University of the West Indies (UWI), originally University College of the West Indies, is a public university system established to serve the higher education needs of the residents of 17 English-speaking countries and territories in th ...
, Kingston, Jamaica, an appointment he held until 1956.
In 1954–55, he was visiting professor at
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 ...
, then returned briefly to Jamaica before being appointed principal of
University College, Ibadan
The University of Ibadan (UI) is a public research university in Ibadan, Nigeria. The university was founded in 1948 as University College Ibadan, one of many colleges within the University of London. It became an independent university in 1962 ...
, Nigeria in 1956. Parry remained in that post until 1960, when he was selected as principal of the
University College of Swansea. In 1963 he became vice-chancellor of the
University of Wales, Cardiff. where he remained until he was selected as
Gardiner Professor of Oceanic History and Affairs The Gardiner Chair of Oceanic History and Affairs was established at Harvard University in 1948.
The chair is named in honor of William Howard Gardiner (died, New York City, 21 June 1952), a publicist and advocate of the importance of sea power, wh ...
at
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 ...
. He was the second scholar to hold the Gardiner chair, succeeding
Robert G. Albion.
While at Harvard he taught a sequence of courses devoted to sailing, European expansion, and the establishment of overseas empires. For a year following retirement, he held the Visiting Harrison Chair of History at the
College of William and Mary
The College of William & Mary (officially The College of William and Mary in Virginia, abbreviated as William & Mary, W&M) is a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia. Founded in 1693 by letters patent issued by King William III ...
.
Scholarly contributions
His early work dealt with Spain's overseas empire, focusing on the theory and structure of colonial rule, with a series of monographs ''The Spanish Theory of Empire'', ''The Audiencia of New Galicia in the Sixteenth Century: A Study in Colonial Government'' (1948) and ''The Sale of Public Office in the Spanish Indies under the Hapsburgs'' (1953). These were followed by works with a larger scope, ''Europe and a Wider World, 1415-1715'' (1949), and a volume with a shorter time span and more focused, ''The Age of Reconnaissance, Discovery, Exploration and Settlement, 1450-1650'' (1963) and a companion volume of documents, ''The European Reconnaissance. Selected Documents'' (1968). He continued in the vein of maritime empires, publishing ''Trade and Dominion. The European Overseas Empires in the Eighteenth Century'' (1971). What one scholar has called Parry's "masterpiece" is ''The Spanish Seaborne Empire'' (1966).
He died of a heart attack at his home on Wednesday 25 August 1982.
Awards and honours
*Member of the
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
, 1942
*Companion of the
Order of St. Michael and St. George, 1960
*Honorary
LL.D.
Legum Doctor (Latin: “teacher of the laws”) (LL.D.) or, in English, Doctor of Laws, is a doctorate-level academic degree in law or an honorary degree, depending on the jurisdiction. The double “L” in the abbreviation refers to the early ...
,
Federal University of Ceará
The Federal University of Ceará ( pt, Universidade Federal do Ceará, UFC) is a federal university with campuses in the cities of Fortaleza, Sobral, Barbalha, Russas, Quixadá and Crateús, in the state of Ceará, Brazil. UFC is a public ...
, 1964
*Member of the
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, a ...
, 1967
*Members of the
American Philosophical Society
The American Philosophical Society (APS), founded in 1743 in Philadelphia, is a scholarly organization that promotes knowledge in the sciences and humanities through research, professional meetings, publications, library resources, and communit ...
, 1975
*Commander of the
Order of Alfonso X of Castile, 1976
Published works
*''The Spanish Theory of Empire in the Sixteenth Century'' (1940, 1949, 1974, 1978)
*''The Audiencia of New Galicia in the Sixteenth Century: A Study in Spanish Colonial Government'' (1948, 1968)
*''The Sale of Public Office in the Spanish Indies under the Habsburgs'' (1953)
*''Europe and a Wider World, 1415-1715'' (1949, 1966); reprinted as ''The Establishment of the European Hegemony, 1415-1715: Trade and Exploration in the Age of the Renaissance'' (1961)
*''A Short History of the West Indies'', by J.H. Parry, P.M. Sherlock, A.P. Maingot (1956, 1960, 1963, 1971, 1987)
*''The Cities of the Conquistadores'' (1961)
*''The Age of Reconnaissance'' (1963, 1966, 1973); History of Civilisation series
*''The Spanish Seaborne Empire'' (1966, 1973, 1977, 1990); The History of Human Society series
*''The European Reconnaissance: Selected Documents'' (1968)
*''Trade and Dominion: The European Oversea Empires in the Eighteenth Century'' (1971, 1974, 2000)
*''The Discovery of the Sea'' (1974, 1975, 1981)
*''The Discovery of South America'' (1979)
*''Romance of the Sea'' (1981)
*''New Iberian World: A Documentary History of the Discovery and Settlement of Latin America to the Early 17th Century'', edited, with commentaries by John H. Parry and Robert G. Keith; with the assistance of Michael Jimenez (1984)
References
External links
Prof. John Parry of Harvard; Historian of Sea Exploration ''The New York Times'', 29 August 1982
{{DEFAULTSORT:Parry, J.H.
Harvard University faculty
1914 births
1982 deaths
Alumni of Clare College, Cambridge
University of Ibadan faculty
Royal Navy officers
British maritime historians
University of the West Indies academics
Members of the Order of the British Empire
Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George
Academics of the University of Cambridge
People associated with Cardiff University
British expatriates in Nigeria
20th-century British historians
Latin Americanists
People from Handsworth, West Midlands
British expatriates in the United States
Members of the American Philosophical Society