James Allen Vann III (20 November 1939 – 4 May 1986) was an American historian, specializing in German history of the early modern period. He was a professor of History at

Emory University Emory University is a private research university in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1836 as "Emory College" by the Methodist Episcopal Church and named in honor of Methodist bishop John Emory, Emory is the second-oldest private institution of ...

. Born in

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

, he graduated from

Washington and Lee University , mottoeng = "Not Unmindful of the Future" , established = , type = Private liberal arts university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.092 billion (2021) , president = William C. Dudley , provost = Lena Hill , city = Lexingto ...

, where he graduated summa cum laude in 1961. He served two years in the army, then entered

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 higher le ...

, where he received the Doctorate of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in 1970. He joined the faculty of the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

that same year. He served on the faculty of the

École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales The School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences (french: École des hautes études en sciences sociales; EHESS) is a graduate ''grande école'' and ''grand établissement'' in Paris focused on academic research in the social sciences. The ...

in Paris from 1983–84. Following his assignment there, he joined the faculty at Emory University in

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

.J. Russel Major
''In Memoriam.''
Taylor and Francis. 09 Jun 2010. Accessed 4 December 2014. His 1975 work, ''The Swabian Kreis: Institutional Growth in the Holy Roman Empire, 1648–1715'', established Vann among a group of young scholars whose new vision of the historical

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a Polity, political entity in Western Europe, Western, Central Europe, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, dissolution i ...

challenged classical notions of that institution's viability and functionality. In his study of

Württemberg Württemberg ( ; ) is a historical German territory roughly corresponding to the cultural and linguistic region of Swabia. The main town of the region is Stuttgart. Together with Baden and Hohenzollern, two other historical territories, Würt ...

, he rejected traditional ideas of state building as a conscious social determinism, but instead explained the evolution of a German state in terms of relations between and among the dukes and the courtiers, privy councilors and the general representative body of the ''Landtag.'' Since 1985, the James Allen Vann Seminar, continued in his honor, offers an informal venue for scholars, graduate students, and other interested parties from the Atlanta area to discuss scholarly papers on topics concerning pre-modern European history and the relations between early modern Europe and the rest of the world.Department of History
''Vann Seminar in Premodern History.''
Atlanta, Emory University, 2014. Accessed 3 December 2014.

Principal publications

*''The Making of a State: Württemberg, 1593–1793.'' Ithaca : Cornell University Press, 1984. *''The Old Reich: Essays on German political institutions, 1495–1806.'' Bruxelles : Editions de la librairie encyclopédique, 1974. (as co-editor) *''The Swabian Kreis: Institutional Growth in the Holy Roman Empire, 1648–1715.'' Bruxelles . du Luxembourg 40 Editions de la librairie encyclopédique, 1975.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vann, James Allen 1939 births 1986 deaths Washington and Lee University alumni Harvard University alumni Historians of Germany 20th-century American historians American male non-fiction writers University of Michigan faculty 20th-century American male writers