Richard N. Frye
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Richard Nelson Frye (January 10, 1920 – March 27, 2014) was an American scholar of Iranian and Central Asian studies, and
Aga Khan Aga Khan ( fa, آقاخان, ar, آغا خان; also transliterated as ''Aqa Khan'' and ''Agha Khan'') is a title held by the Imām of the Nizari Ismāʿīli Shias. Since 1957, the holder of the title has been the 49th Imām, Prince Shah Karim ...
Professor Emeritus of Iranian Studies at Harvard University. His professional areas of interest were Iranian philology and the history of Iran and Central Asia before 1000 CE. Born in Birmingham, Alabama, to a family of immigrants from
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
, "Freij" had four children, his second marriage being to an Iranian-Assyrian scholar,
Eden Naby Eden Naby (born 1942) is an Assyrian-Iranian cultural historian of Central Asia and the Middle East. She was born in the once important Assyrian village of Golpashan, located outside Urmia in Iran. Eden Naby has conducted research, taught and pub ...
, from Urmia, Iran who teaches at Columbia University. He spoke fluent Russian,
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...
, Arabic, Persian, Pashto,
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
, Uzbek, and
Turkish Turkish may refer to: *a Turkic language spoken by the Turks * of or about Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities and mi ...
, and had extensive knowledge of
Avestan Avestan (), or historically Zend, is an umbrella term for two Old Iranian languages: Old Avestan (spoken in the 2nd millennium BCE) and Younger Avestan (spoken in the 1st millennium BCE). They are known only from their conjoined use as the scrip ...
,
Pahlavi Pahlavi may refer to: Iranian royalty *Seven Parthian clans, ruling Parthian families during the Sasanian Empire *Pahlavi dynasty, the ruling house of Imperial State of Persia/Iran from 1925 until 1979 **Reza Shah, Reza Shah Pahlavi (1878–1944 ...
, Sogdian, and other Iranian languages and dialects, both extinct and current. Although Frye is mostly known for his works about Iran, the
Iranian people Iranians or Iranian people may refer to: * Iranian peoples, Indo-European ethno-linguistic group living predominantly in Iran and other parts of the Middle East and the Caucasus, as well as parts of Central Asia and South Asia ** Persians, Irania ...
s and Iranian Central Asia, the scope of his studies was much wider and includes Byzantine,
Caucasian Caucasian may refer to: Anthropology *Anything from the Caucasus region ** ** ** ''Caucasian Exarchate'' (1917–1920), an ecclesiastical exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Caucasus region * * * Languages * Northwest Caucasian l ...
, and Ottoman history, Eastern Turkistan, Assyria and the Assyrian people, ancient and medieval Iranian art, Islamic art,
Sufism Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, r ...
, Chinese and Japanese archeology, and a variety of Iranian and non-Iranian languages including
Avestan Avestan (), or historically Zend, is an umbrella term for two Old Iranian languages: Old Avestan (spoken in the 2nd millennium BCE) and Younger Avestan (spoken in the 1st millennium BCE). They are known only from their conjoined use as the scrip ...
,
Old Persian Old Persian is one of the two directly attested Old Iranian languages (the other being Avestan language, Avestan) and is the ancestor of Middle Persian (the language of Sasanian Empire). Like other Old Iranian languages, it was known to its native ...
, Middle Persian,
Parthian Parthian may be: Historical * A demonym "of Parthia", a region of north-eastern of Greater Iran * Parthian Empire (247 BC – 224 AD) * Parthian language, a now-extinct Middle Iranian language * Parthian shot, an archery skill famously employed by ...
, Sogdian, Khotanese, and Bactrian, New Persian, Arabic, Turkish, and even Chinese, beside research languages which include French, German, Italian, and Russian.


Early life and career

Frye was born in Birmingham, Alabama. He first attended the University of Illinois, where he received a BA in history and philosophy in 1939. He received his MA from Harvard University in 1940 and his PhD from Harvard in 1946, in Asiatic history. Frye served with the
Office of Strategic Services The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) was the intelligence agency of the United States during World War II. The OSS was formed as an agency of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) to coordinate espionage activities behind enemy lines for all branc ...
during World War II. He was stationed in Afghanistan and traveled extensively in the Middle East, Central Asia, and South Asia. In 1948 he visited Sar Masshad, and was the first European to find and report the existence of the Gur-e Dokhtar tomb (meaning "Tomb of the Maiden" in Persian). He returned to Harvard to teach. He was a member of the Harvard faculty from 1948 until 1990. He then became a professor emeritus at Harvard. He also served as faculty, guest lecturer, or visiting scholar at: * Habibiya College in Kabul (1942–44) * Frankfurt University (1959–60) *
Hamburg University The University of Hamburg (german: link=no, Universität Hamburg, also referred to as UHH) is a public research university in Hamburg, Germany. It was founded on 28 March 1919 by combining the previous General Lecture System ('' Allgemeines Vor ...
(1968–69) *
Pahlavi University Shiraz University ( fa, دانشگاه شیراز ''Dāneshgāh-e-Shirāz'', formerly known as Pahlavi University دانشگاه پهلوی ''Dāneshgāh-e Pahlavi'') is a public university located in Shiraz, Fars, Iran, established in 1946. ...
of Shiraz (1970–76) * University of Tajikistan (1990–92). Professor Frye helped found the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Harvard, the first Iranian studies program in America. He also served as Director of the ''Asia Institute'' in Shiraz (1970–1975), was on the Board of Trustees of the
Pahlavi University Shiraz University ( fa, دانشگاه شیراز ''Dāneshgāh-e-Shirāz'', formerly known as Pahlavi University دانشگاه پهلوی ''Dāneshgāh-e Pahlavi'') is a public university located in Shiraz, Fars, Iran, established in 1946. ...
at Shiraz (1974–78), and Chairman, ''Committee on Inner Asian Studies'', at Harvard (1983–89), and as Editor of the ''Bulletin of the Asia Institute'' (1970–1975 and 1987–99). Among Frye's students were Annemarie Schimmel, Oleg Grabar, Frank Huddle (former US Ambassador to Tajikistan),
John Limbert John W. Limbert (born 1943) is an American diplomat. He is the former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Iran in the US State Department's Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs. He is a veteran U.S. diplomat and a former official at the U.S. Emb ...
, and
Michael Crichton John Michael Crichton (; October 23, 1942 – November 4, 2008) was an American author and filmmaker. His books have sold over 200 million copies worldwide, and over a dozen have been adapted into films. His literary works heavily feature tech ...
, whose
Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...
film The 13th Warrior is loosely based on Frye's translation of Ibn Fadlan's account of his travels up the river Volga. Frye was also directly responsible for inviting Iranian scholars as distinguished visiting fellows to Harvard University, under a fellowship program initiated by Henry Kissinger. Examples of such guests include
Mehdi Haeri Yazdi Mehdi Haeri Yazdi ( fa, مهدی حائری یزدی ; ar, المهدي الحائري اليزدي; ; b. 1923, Qom, Sublime State of Persia – 9 July 1999, Tehran, Iran) was an Iranian philosopher and Shia Islamic cleric. He was the first so ...
(1923–1999),
Sadegh Choubak Sādeq Chubak ( fa, صادق چوبک, sometimes Sādegh Choubak; August 5, 1916 July 3, 1998), was an Iranian author of short fiction, drama, and novels. His short stories are characterized by their intricacy, economy of detail, and concentrati ...
, Jalal al Ahmad, and others.


Frye as a proponent of Persian culture

Frye felt that Persian civilization was under-appreciated by other
Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
s, and Arab Muslims in particular. Frye wrote: In August 1953, shortly before the fall of
Mosaddegh Mohammad Mosaddegh ( fa, محمد مصدق, ; 16 June 1882 – 5 March 1967) was an Iranian politician, author, and lawyer who served as the 35th Prime Minister of Iran from 1951 to 1953, after appointment by the 16th Majlis. He was a member of ...
, prominent Iranian linguist Ali Akbar Dehkhoda gave Frye the title: "Irandoost" (meaning "a friend of Iran"). In addition, Frye was a long standing supporter of
Assyrian continuity Assyrian continuity is the theory of continuity between the modern Assyrian people, an indigenous ethnic minority in the Middle East, and the people of ancient Assyria. Assyrian continuity is a key part of the identity of the modern Assyrian peo ...
; the historical and ancestral connection between modern
Assyrians Assyrian may refer to: * Assyrian people, the indigenous ethnic group of Mesopotamia. * Assyria, a major Mesopotamian kingdom and empire. ** Early Assyrian Period ** Old Assyrian Period ** Middle Assyrian Empire ** Neo-Assyrian Empire * Assyrian ...
and the Ancient Mesopotamians. A ceremony was held in Iran on June 27, 2004 to pay tribute to the six-decade endeavors of Professor Frye on his lifetime contribution to Iranian Studies, research work on the Persian language, and the history and culture of Iran. In his will, Professor Frye expressed his wish to be buried next to the Zayandeh River in
Isfahan Isfahan ( fa, اصفهان, Esfahân ), from its Achaemenid empire, ancient designation ''Aspadana'' and, later, ''Spahan'' in Sassanian Empire, middle Persian, rendered in English as ''Ispahan'', is a major city in the Greater Isfahan Regio ...
. This request was approved by Iranian president
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ( fa, محمود احمدی‌نژاد, Mahmūd Ahmadīnežād ), born Mahmoud Sabbaghian ( fa, محمود صباغیان, Mahmoud Sabbāghyān, 28 October 1956),
in September 2007. Two other American scholars of Iranian Studies, Arthur Pope and Phyllis Ackerman, are already buried there. In 2010 the Iranian government gave a house in
Isfahan Isfahan ( fa, اصفهان, Esfahân ), from its Achaemenid empire, ancient designation ''Aspadana'' and, later, ''Spahan'' in Sassanian Empire, middle Persian, rendered in English as ''Ispahan'', is a major city in the Greater Isfahan Regio ...
to Professor Frye in recognition of his services to Iranian studies. On June 8, 2014, the family of Dr. Frye decided to cremate his remains after waiting more than 2 months for official Iranian permission to bury him in Isfahan. His death coincided with growing resentment by Iranian hard-liners over signs of reconciliation with the United States after decades of estrangement. It is not clear what the family intended to do with his ashes.


Frye as a public speaker

Frye was a popular public speaker at numerous Iran-related gatherings. In 2005, he spoke at UCLA, encouraging the Iranians present to cherish their culture and identity.Professor Richard Nelson Frye Lecture at UCLA Royce Hall – March 13, 2005
/ref> In 2004, he spoke at an architectural conference in Tehran, expressing his dismay at hasty modernization that ignores the beauties of traditional Iranian architectural styles (see Architecture of Tehran).


Bibliography

* ''Notes on the Early Coinage of Transoxania; Numismatic Notes, 113'', American Numismatic Association, New York 1949 * ''The Near East and the Great Powers'', Harvard University Press, 1951 * ''Iran'', George Allen and Unwin, London, 1960 * ''The Heritage of Persia: The pre-Islamic History of One of the World's Great Civilizations'', World Publishing Company, New York, 1963. Reprinted by Mazda Publishers, 2004. www.mazdapublishers.com * ''Bukhara: The Medieval Achievement'', University of Oklahoma Press, 1965. Reprinted by Mazda Publishers, 1997. www.mazdapublishers.com * ''The Histories of Nishapur'', Harvard University Press, (
Harvard Oriental Series The ''Harvard Oriental Series'' is a book series founded in 1891 by Charles Rockwell Lanman and Henry Clarke Warren. Lanman served as its inaugural editor (1891-1934) for the first 37 volumes. Other editors of the series include Walter Eugene Clark ...
, 45) 1965 * ''Corpus Inscriptionum Iranicarum, vol. III'', Dura-Europos, London, 1968 * ''Persia'' (3rd edition) Allen and Unwin, London, 1969 * ''The United States and Turkey and Iran'', Archon Books, 1971 * ''Sasanian Remains from Qasr-i Abu Nasr. Seals, Sealings, and Coins'', Harvard University Press, 1973 * ''Neue Methodologie in der Iranistik'', Wiesbaden, 1974 * ''The Golden Age Of Persia: The Arabs in the East'', Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London, 1988 * * ''The heritage of Central Asia from antiquity to the Turkish expansion'' Markus Wiener, Princeton, 1996 * * * ''Greater Iran'', Mazda Publishers, 2005, * ''Ibn Fadlan's Journey To Russia'', 2005, Markus Wiener Publisher,


See also

* Famous Americans in Iran * Iranistics ; Other notable scholars of Iranian studies :
Mehrdad Bahar Mehrdād Bahār ( fa, مهرداد بهار) (b. 1929, in Tehran; d. 13 November 1994, in Tehran) was a prominent Iranist, linguist, mythologist and Persian historian. Early life Mehrdad Bahar, was the youngest son of Persian poet Mohammad Tagh ...
: Mary Boyce : Roman Ghirshman : Michael Roaf :
James R. Russell James Robert Russell (born October 27, 1953) is a scholar and professor in Ancient Near Eastern, Iranian and Armenian Studies. He has published extensively in journals, and has written several books. He served as Mashtots Professor of Armeni ...
: Erich Schmidt :
Alireza Shapour Shahbazi Alireza Shapour Shahbazi (4 September 1942 Shiraz - 15 July 2006 Walla Walla, Washington'') ('' fa, علیرضا شاپور شهبازی) was a prominent Persian archeologist, archaeologist, Iranology, Iranologist and a world expert on Achaemenid a ...
: David Stronach : Ahmad Tafazzoli : Ehsan Yarshater : Abdolhossein Zarrinkoub


References


External links


Iranians pay tribute to Richard Nelson Frye
''Mehr News Agency'', July 5, 2004. * Waghmar, Burzine. Obituary: Richard Nelson Frye (1920–2014). ''Societas Iranologica Europaea'



ttps://web.archive.org/web/20060223023921/http://www.persianmirror.com/community/2005/opinion/opinionRichardFRye.cfm anotherbr>Dr. Frye's statements at UCLA in March 2005
* ttp://www.iranian.com/Books/2004/June/Iran/ Excerpts from ''The Greater Iran: A 20th-Century Odyssey'', the memoirs of R. N. Fryebr>Dr. Frye's page at the ''Iran Heritage'' website
*Frye, R. N

''The History of Ancient Iran'', 1983. * Syria and Assyria

*Frye, R. N
"Ethnic Identity in Iran." 2002.
*Prof. Richard Frye’s Memoirs in Persia

{{DEFAULTSORT:Frye, Richard Nelson American historians American Iranologists American Turkologists American people of Swedish descent University of Illinois alumni Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences alumni Harvard University faculty Iranologists People of the Office of Strategic Services Shiraz University faculty 1920 births 2014 deaths Farabi International Award recipients Zoroastrian studies scholars American expatriates in Afghanistan American expatriates in Iran American expatriates in Germany American expatriates in Tajikistan University of Hamburg faculty