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. It is the oldest Mixed-sex education, coeducational liberal arts college in the United S ...

, 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 Sou ...

in 1947. He served in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

Artillery during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, rising to master sergeant. In 1951, he received a PhD from

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

. 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 1966, 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 British ...

'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

{{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