Robert Orwill Fink (November 4, 1905 – December 17, 1988) was an American

papyrologist Papyrology is the study of manuscripts of ancient literature, correspondence, legal archives, etc., preserved on portable media from antiquity, the most common form of which is papyrus, the principal writing material in the ancient civilizations ...

with a special interest in Roman military papyri.

Early life and education

Fink was born in

Geneva, Indiana Geneva is a town in Wabash Township, Adams County, Indiana. The population was 1,293 at the time of the 2010 census. Geneva is the location of the Limberlost Cabin, the home of writer and naturalist Gene Stratton-Porter from 1895-1913. Histor ...

. He attended

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. Campuses Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI. *Indiana Universi ...

, where he earned his

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four year ...

degree in 1930. After completing a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Th ...

degree at

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to tea ...

in 1931, he went on to

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...

, where he studied under

Michael Rostovtzeff Mikhail Ivanovich Rostovtzeff, or Rostovtsev (russian: Михаи́л Ива́нович Росто́вцев; – October 20, 1952), was a Russian historian whose career straddled the 19th and 20th centuries and who produced important works ...

, under whose direction he completed his

Ph.D. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...

in 1934 with a thesis on "Roman military accounts and records."

Career

In 1931, Fink was appointed instructor in classics at

and remained there until 1941, when he was appointed

assistant professor Assistant Professor is an academic rank just below the rank of an associate professor used in universities or colleges, mainly in the United States and Canada. Overview This position is generally taken after earning a doctoral degree A docto ...

of classics at

Russell Sage College Russell Sage College (often Russell Sage or RSC) is a co-educational college with two campuses located in Albany and Troy, New York, approximately north of New York City in the Capital District. Russell Sage College offers both undergraduate ...

. In 1942, he accepted an appointment at

Beloit College Beloit College is a private liberal arts college in Beloit, Wisconsin. Founded in 1846, when Wisconsin was still a territory, it is the state's oldest continuously operated college. It is a member of the Associated Colleges of the Midwest and h ...

, where he was promoted to associate professor. In 1946, he moved to

Kenyon College Kenyon College is a private liberal arts college in Gambier, Ohio. It was founded in 1824 by Philander Chase. Kenyon College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Kenyon has 1,708 undergraduates enrolled. Its 1,000-acre campus is ...

, where he rose to the rank of

professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an academic rank at universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who professes". Professors ...

of classics. In 1958, Kenyon College named him Euman Dempsey Professor of Classics. While at

, he was named a Fulbright Scholar for research in Italy in 1956–1957 and the American Council of Learned Societies awarded him a Research Fellowship in 1963–1964. In 1966, the

University at Albany, SUNY The State University of New York at Albany, commonly referred to as the University at Albany, UAlbany or SUNY Albany, is a public research university with campuses in Albany, Rensselaer, and Guilderland, New York. Founded in 1844, it is one ...

appointed him professor of classics. Upon his retirement in 1976 he returned to his former residence in Gambier, Ohio near

Personal life

Fink married Ruth Kuersteiner on June 11, 1935.

Published works

Books * ''The

Feriale Duranum The ''Feriale Duranum'' is a calendar of religious observances for a Roman military garrison at Dura-Europos on the Euphrates, Roman Syria, under the reign of Severus Alexander (224–235 AD). History and description The small papyrus roll w ...

'' with A. S. Hoey and Walter Fifield Snyder, (YCS, 1940) * ''The Excavations at

Dura-Europas Dura-Europos, ; la, Dūra Eurōpus, ( el, Δούρα Ευρωπός, Doúra Evropós, ) was a Hellenistic, Parthian, and Roman border city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human ...

. Final Report V, Part 1: The

Parchment Parchment is a writing material made from specially prepared untanned skins of animals—primarily sheep, calves, and goats. It has been used as a writing medium for over two millennia. Vellum is a finer quality parchment made from the skins o ...

s and Papyri'' with C. B. Wells and J. F. Gilliam. (1959) * ''Roman Military Records on

Papyrus Papyrus ( ) is a material similar to thick paper that was used in ancient times as a writing surface. It was made from the pith of the papyrus plant, '' Cyperus papyrus'', a wetland sedge. ''Papyrus'' (plural: ''papyri'') can also refer to a ...

'' (APA Monograph, no. 26, 1971). Articles * "

Jerash Jerash ( ar, جرش ''Ǧaraš''; grc, Γέρασα ''Gérasa'') is a city in northern Jordan. The city is the administrative center of the Jerash Governorate, and has a population of 50,745 as of 2015. It is located north of the capital city ...

in the First century A.D.," ''JRS'', 23 (1933), pp. 109–124. * " Lucius Seius Caesar", ''Socer Augusti'', ''AJP'', 60 (1939), pp. 326–332. * "The ''Sponsalia'' of Classiarius: A Reinterpretation of '' P. Mich. Inv. 4703", ''TAPA'', 72 (1941), pp. 109–124. * "Mommsen's ''Pridianum'' B.G.U. 696", ''AJP'', 63 (1942), pp. 61–71. * "A Fragment of Roman Military Papyrus at Princeton", ''TAPA'', 84 (1945), pp. 271–278. * "The ''Cohors XX Palmyrenorum'', a ''Cohors Equitata Milaria''", ''TAPA'', 78 (1947), pp. 159–170. * "Infinitives Don't Have Tense", ''The Classical Journal'', 48 (1952–53), pp. 34–36. * "''Centuria Rufi, Centuria Rufiana'', and the Ranking of Centuries", ''TAPA'', 84 (1953), pp. 210–215. * "Catullus 64, 109", ''AJP'', 84 (1963), pp. 72–74. * "M. Aurelius Atho Marcellus", ''AJP'', 88 (1967), pp. 84–85. * "A Long Vowel before Final ''M'' in Latin?", ''AJP'', 90 (1969), pp. 444–452.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fink, Robert O. 1905 births 1988 deaths American classical scholars Cornell University alumni Indiana University alumni Kenyon College faculty People from Adams County, Indiana People from Gambier, Ohio Russell Sage College faculty Classical scholars of the State University of New York Yale University alumni Classical scholars of Yale University American papyrologists Beloit College faculty 20th-century American historians American male non-fiction writers 20th-century American male writers University at Albany, SUNY faculty