A. V. Williams Jackson
Encyclopedia
Abraham Valentine Williams Jackson, L.H.D., Ph.D.
, LL.D. (February 9, 1862 – August 8, 1937) was an American
specialist on Indo-Iranian languages
.
on February 9, 1862. He graduated from Columbia University
in 1883. He was fellow in letters there 1883-86, instructor in Anglo-Saxon and the Iranian languages 1887-90, and, after study at Halle 1887-89, adjunct professor of English language and literature. In 1895, he was appointed public lecturer and also appointed to the newly-founded professorship of Indo-Iranian languages at Columbia University
, where he remained until 1935.
He was well known as a lecturer on English literature
and the Orient. In 1901, during a visit to India
and Ceylon
, he received special attention from the Parsees, who presented to Columbia a valuable collection of Zoroastrian
manuscripts in recognition of the instruction there given by him in their ancient texts. In 1903 he made a second journey to the Orient, this time visiting Persia. He also visited Central Asia
sometime before 1918.
Jackson's grammar of Avestan
, the language used in the Zoroastrian scriptures, is still considered to be the seminal work on the topic. Jackson was one of the directors of the American Oriental Society
.
He died on August 8, 1937.
He made many contributions to the Journal of the American Oriental Society. He edited the Columbia University Indo-Iranian Series (5 vols., 1902), A History of India (9 vols., 1906-15), and a History of Persia.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
, LL.D. (February 9, 1862 – August 8, 1937) was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
specialist on Indo-Iranian languages
Indo-Iranian languages
The Indo-Iranian language group constitutes the easternmost extant branch of the Indo-European family of languages. It consists of three language groups: the Indo-Aryan, Iranian and Nuristani...
.
Biography
He was born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
on February 9, 1862. He graduated from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in 1883. He was fellow in letters there 1883-86, instructor in Anglo-Saxon and the Iranian languages 1887-90, and, after study at Halle 1887-89, adjunct professor of English language and literature. In 1895, he was appointed public lecturer and also appointed to the newly-founded professorship of Indo-Iranian languages at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, where he remained until 1935.
He was well known as a lecturer on English literature
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
and the Orient. In 1901, during a visit to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Ceylon
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, he received special attention from the Parsees, who presented to Columbia a valuable collection of Zoroastrian
Zoroastrianism
Zoroastrianism is a religion and philosophy based on the teachings of prophet Zoroaster and was formerly among the world's largest religions. It was probably founded some time before the 6th century BCE in Greater Iran.In Zoroastrianism, the Creator Ahura Mazda is all good, and no evil...
manuscripts in recognition of the instruction there given by him in their ancient texts. In 1903 he made a second journey to the Orient, this time visiting Persia. He also visited Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
sometime before 1918.
Jackson's grammar of Avestan
Avestan language
Avestan is an East Iranian language known only from its use as the language of Zoroastrian scripture, i.e. the Avesta, from which it derives its name...
, the language used in the Zoroastrian scriptures, is still considered to be the seminal work on the topic. Jackson was one of the directors of the American Oriental Society
American Oriental Society
The American Oriental Society was chartered under the laws of Massachusetts on September 7, 1842. It is one of the oldest learned societies in America, and is the oldest devoted to a particular field of scholarship....
.
He died on August 8, 1937.
Publications
- A Hymn of Zoroaster (1888)
- An Avesta Grammar in Comparison with Sanskrit (1892)
- An Avesta Reader (1893)
- Zoroaster, the Prophet of Ancient Iran (1898)
- Die iranische Religion (1900)
- Persia, Past and Present (1906)
- Descriptive Catalogue of the Persian MSS. in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’ (1913)
- From Constantinople to the Home of Omar Khayyam (1911)
- A Descriptive Catalogue of the Persian Manuscripts Presented to the Metropolitan Museum of ArtMetropolitan Museum of ArtThe Metropolitan Museum of Art is a renowned art museum in New York City. Its permanent collection contains more than two million works, divided into nineteen curatorial departments. The main building, located on the eastern edge of Central Park along Manhattan's Museum Mile, is one of the...
by A. S. CochranAlexander Smith CochranAlexander Smith Cochran was a wealthy manufacturer, sportsman and philathropist from Yonkers, New York.-Biography:He was the son of Willam F. Cochran and grandson of Alexander Smith, founder of the Alexander Smith Carpet Company....
(1914), with A. Yohannan - Early Persian Poetry (1920)
He made many contributions to the Journal of the American Oriental Society. He edited the Columbia University Indo-Iranian Series (5 vols., 1902), A History of India (9 vols., 1906-15), and a History of Persia.
Sources
External links
- Abraham Valentine Williams Jackson: biog and 4 source texts, on Vohuman.Org