Ray Huang (; 25 June 19188 January 2000) was a
Chinese-American
Chinese Americans are Americans of Han Chinese ancestry. Chinese Americans constitute a subgroup of East Asian Americans which also constitute a subgroup of Asian Americans. Many Chinese Americans along with their ancestors trace lineage from m ...
historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the st ...
and
philosopher who was an officer in the
National Revolutionary Army and fought in the
Burma Campaign. In 1964, Huang earned a Ph.D. in history from 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 ...
. He worked with
Joseph Needham and was a contributor to Needham's ''
Science and Civilisation in China
''Science and Civilisation in China'' (1954–present) is an ongoing series of books about the history of science and technology in China published by Cambridge University Press. It was initiated and edited by British historian Joseph Needham (1 ...
''. Huang taught history at universities in the US and the UK, and he is best known in his later years for the idea of
macro-history.
Early life
Ray Huang was born in
Ningxiang
Ningxiang () is a county-level city and the 2nd most populous county-level division in the Province of Hunan, China; it is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Changsha. The city is bordered to the north by Heshan Distric ...
,
Hunan Province, in 1918.
He was the oldest of three children. His father, Huang Zhenbai (), was an early member of the revolutionary group
Tongmenghui
The Tongmenghui of China (or T'ung-meng Hui, variously translated as Chinese United League, United League, Chinese Revolutionary Alliance, Chinese Alliance, United Allegiance Society, ) was a secret society and underground resistance movement ...
but became less active in the group over the years. Ray Huang grew up in Hunan and went on to study
electrical engineering at
Nankai University,
Tianjin
Tianjin (; ; Mandarin: ), alternately romanized as Tientsin (), is a municipality and a coastal metropolis in Northern China on the shore of the Bohai Sea. It is one of the nine national central cities in Mainland China, with a total popu ...
, in 1936. At the outbreak of the
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) or War of Resistance (Chinese term) was a military conflict that was primarily waged between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. The war made up the Chinese theater of the wider Pacific Th ...
in 1938, he returned to
Changsha
Changsha (; ; ; Changshanese pronunciation: (), Standard Chinese, Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is the Capital city, capital and the largest city of Hunan Province of China. Changsha is the 17th most populous city in China with a popul ...
and wrote for the ''Anti-Japanese War Report'' ().
Soon afterwards, Huang entered the
Republic of China Military Academy () at
Chengdu
Chengdu (, ; simplified Chinese: 成都; pinyin: ''Chéngdū''; Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: ), alternatively romanized as Chengtu, is a sub-provincial city which serves as the capital of the Chinese pro ...
,
Sichuan
Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" by Protestant missions) is a province in Southwest China occupying most of the ...
, and graduated in 1940. He was appointed a
Second Lieutenant Platoon Leader in 1941 and was posted as a staff
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment.
The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a ...
stationed in
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
in 1942. He then was a Staff
Major in the
New First Army in the
Burma Theater from 1943 to 1945. While in Burma, he was shot through the thigh but made a complete recovery. After the war he attended the
US Army Staff College, graduated in 1947, and was aide-de-camp to the head of the Chinese military delegation participating in the
Allied occupation of Japan
Japan was occupied and administered by the victorious Allies of World War II from the 1945 surrender of the Empire of Japan at the end of the war until the
Treaty of San Francisco took effect in 1952. The occupation, led by the United States w ...
from 1949 to 1950. However, with the loss of
Mainland China
"Mainland China" is a geopolitical term defined as the territory governed by the People's Republic of China (including islands like Hainan or Chongming), excluding dependent territories of the PRC, and other territories within Greater China. ...
in 1949, the Nationalist Army in Taiwan was purged of political opponents in 1950. Huang's superior in
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
was accused of Communist links and so Huang was discharged from the Nationalist Army in 1950, which ended his military career.
Academic career
Huang went to the United States to study
Chinese history
The earliest known written records of the history of China date from as early as 1250 BC, from the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BC), during the reign of king Wu Ding. Ancient historical texts such as the ''Book of Documents'' (early chapter ...
. At 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 ...
, he received his
bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...
in 1954, his
master's degree
A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice. in 1957, and his
doctorate
A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''l ...
in 1964. He was appointed visiting
associate professor
Associate professor is an academic title with two principal meanings: in the North American system and that of the ''Commonwealth system''.
Overview
In the ''North American system'', used in the United States and many other countries, it is a ...
at
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 1967, and a
professor
Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who pr ...
at the
State University of New York
The State University of New York (SUNY, , ) is a system of public colleges and universities in the State of New York. It is one of the largest comprehensive system of universities, colleges, and community colleges in the United States. Led by c ...
, New Paltz Branch, from 1968 to 1980. He was a research fellow at the
Fairbank Center for East Asian Research at Harvard in 1970.
He worked with the leading American
Sinologist
Sinology, or Chinese studies, is an academic discipline that focuses on the study of China primarily through Chinese philosophy, language, literature, culture and history and often refers to Western scholarship. Its origin "may be traced to the ex ...
John K. Fairbank
John King Fairbank (May 24, 1907 – September 14, 1991) was an American historian of China and United States–China relations. He taught at Harvard University from 1936 until his retirement in 1977. He is credited with building the field of Ch ...
. Nevertheless, Huang and Fairbank disagreed in research methodology. Fairbank liked concentrated analysis in short time frames and limited areas, but Huang liked synthesis covering broad time periods (though Huang's classic work ''
1587, a Year of No Significance'' had a very tight focus).
In 1972, Huang went to
Cambridge University
, mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts.
Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge.
, established =
, other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
and assisted
Joseph Needham, who was more sympathetic to Huang's research approach, in Needham's monumental work on the history of Chinese science and technology. Huang's chosen field of study became financial administration in
Ming China, and he published one of his major works, ''Taxation and Finance in Sixteenth Century Ming China'', in 1974 (translated into Chinese only in 2001).
Huang returned to Cambridge in the mid 1970s and contributed two chapters to the Ming Dynasty Volumes of ''
The Cambridge History of China
''The Cambridge History of China'' is a series of books published by the Cambridge University Press (CUP) covering the history of China from the founding of the Qin dynasty in 221 BC to 1982 AD. The series was conceived by British historian Den ...
''. Around the late 1970s, he retired from teaching and focused on writing instead and even occasionally contributed to a column in ''
Yazhou Zhoukan
''Yazhou Zhoukan'' () is a Chinese-language international affairs newsweekly. It was launched in 1987 by Michael O'Niell as a sister magazine to ''Asiaweek''. It is published by Yanzhou Zhoukan Limited (a subsidiary of Media Chinese International ...
''. Nonetheless, he often travelled to
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
even after his retirement to give lectures and participate in various academic exchanges.
His other works include ''The War in Northern Burma'' (1946), ''1587, a Year of No Significance'' (1981) (also published in Chinese as ''The Fifteenth Year of Wan Li''/
《萬曆十五年》, 1985), ''Broadening the Chinese Field of Vision'' (in Chinese, 1988), ''Chinese Macrohistory'' (1988) (in Chinese 1993), ''Conversations about Chinese History on the Banks of the Hudson River'' (in Chinese 1989), ''Discussions of Here and There and Old and New'' (in Chinese 1991), ''Capitalism and the Twenty First Century'' (in Chinese 1991), ''From a Macrohistory Perspective in Reading Jiang Jieshi's Diary'' (in Chinese 1993), ''Contemporary Chinese Outlets'' (in Chinese 1994), ''The Affair of Wan Chong'' (in Chinese 1998), ''Yellow River Blue Mountain: Record of Huang Renzi's Recollections'' (in Chinese 2001), and ''Bianjing Unfinished Dreams''.
Personal life
Huang married Gayle Bates (1937–2000) in 1966. The two had a son, Jefferson, a longtime administrator at
Claremont McKenna College, as well as two other sons from his wife's previous marriage.
[ ] Huang died of a
heart attack
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...
in 2000.
Books
*''
1587, a Year of No Significance''. First published in English (Yale University Press, 1981), with Chinese (''Wanli Shiwunian'') and other language translations.
*''China: A Macro History''
*''Fiscal Administration during the Ming Dynasty''
*''Conversation on Chinese History by the Hudson River'' (in Chinese)
*''Broadening the Horizons of Chinese History: Discourses, Syntheses, and Comparisons''
*''Capitalism and the 21st Century''(in Chinese)
*''The Grand Canal during the Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644'' (Doctoral dissertation)
*''White Jasmine of Changsha'' (Novel)
*''Taxation and Governmental Finance in Sixteenth-Century Ming China''
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Huang, Ray
1918 births
2000 deaths
20th-century American historians
20th-century American male writers
20th-century Chinese historians
20th-century American philosophers
20th-century Chinese philosophers
American academics of Chinese descent
Chinese emigrants to the United States
Chinese people of World War II
Columbia University faculty
Educators from Hunan
Harvard Fellows
Historians from Hunan
Historians of China
Nankai University alumni
People from Ningxiang
Philosophers from Hunan
Republic of China historians
University of Michigan alumni
Whampoa Military Academy alumni
Writers from Changsha
American male non-fiction writers