TABLE OF CONTENTS
A Finding Aid to the Herbert H. Paper Papers. 1937-1999 (bulk 1960-1984).
Manuscript Collection No. 871
Funding, in part, for the arrangement and description of this collection was
provided by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.
Collection Overview |
|
| Repository: | The Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives |
| Creator: | Paper, Herbert H. (Herbert Harry), 1925- |
| Title: | Herbert H. Paper Papers |
| Dates: | 1937-1999 |
| Bulk Dates: | 1960-1984 |
| Quantity: | 11.0 linear feet (11 record cartons) |
| Abstract: | Consists of correspondence, course materials, and research materials in both English and Yiddish. Correspondence is mostly related to Herbert H. Paper's academic activities at the University of Michigan and Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. |
| Collection Number: | MS-871 |
| Language: | Collection material in English and Yiddish. |
Biographical Sketch
Herbert H. Paper was born on January 11, 1925 in Baltimore, Maryland. At the age of 15, he began college at Yeshiva University in New York and later transferred to the University of Colorado in Boulder, where he received his B.A. in Classics in 1943. On the day of his college graduation, he was drafted into the U.S. Army, trained in horsemanship and then sent for intensive Chinese language training at the University of California, Berkley. He served as a member of the mounted U.S. Cavalry and then the Finance Corps in Calcutta, India, at the end of World War II. He then received his Ph.D. from the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago in 1952. In 1952, he went to Iran on a post-doctoral Fulbright Scholarship to translate texts written in the ancient Babylonian language of Elamite into English and Hebrew.
Paper was among the first people to teach university level Yiddish courses in the United States and had to create course materials for his students at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, where he specialized in Near Eastern languages. During his 24-year tenure there, he also played an instrumental role in founding their Jewish Studies program.
In 1977, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) in Cincinnati, Ohio, hired Paper as dean of Graduate Studies. He taught there for 22 years, helping to build HUC-JIR's reputation in linguistics, introducing languages that had not been taught there before, including Yiddish, Sanskrit and modern Farsi. He served as editor of the Hebrew Union College Annual and as an early president of the Association of Judaic Studies, which he was instrumental in founding. He was a major influence on many students who went on to hold influential posts in the rabbinate, scholarly and secular world.
--Adapted from "Herbert Paper, renowned linguist, Yiddishist, and university professor, dies at 87". American Israelite, February 2nd, 2012. (http://americanisraelite.com/archives/16081). Accessed July 30, 2012.
Scope and Content Note
The Herbert H. Paper Papers consist of correspondence, course materials, and research materials in both English and Yiddish. Correspondence is mostly related to Paper's academic activities at the University of Michigan and Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. Also included are correspondence and minutes for various committees and professional societies in Linguistics and Near and Middle East Studies. These committees and societies address issues in scholarship, fellowships, and collaboration among professionals in the field.
Arrangement Note
This collection is arranged in a single series.
Conditions of Access and Use
Terms of Access
The collection is open for use; no restrictions apply.
Terms of Reproduction and Use
Copyright restrictions may apply. Authorization to publish, quote, or reproduce, with exceptions for fair use, may be obtained through the American Jewish Archives, Cincinnati, Ohio. Please address queries to the Executive Director of the American Jewish Archives. For more information, see the American Jewish Archives copyright information webpage.
Related Material
Related Collections
Other material by or about Herbert H. Paper may be found in the AJA Online Catalog.
Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
Footnotes and bibliographic references should refer to the Herbert H. Paper Papers and the American Jewish Archives. A suggestion for at least the first citation is as follows:
[Description], [Date], Box #, Folder #. MS-871. Herbert H. Paper Papers. American Jewish Archives, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Provenance
The Herbert H. Paper Papers were received from Herbert H. Paper, Cincinnati, Ohio in 2008.
Processing Information
Processed by Michelle Wirth Detroit, July, 2012.
This collection was arranged and described according to minimal-processing standards. Funding, in part, for the arrangement and description of this collection was provided by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.
Box Folder Listing
Search Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the AJA Online Catalog.