James Palais
Encyclopedia
James B. Palais (1934-2006) was an American academic, author and scholar of Korean history. He was Professor of Korean History at the University of Washington
; and he was a key figure in establishing Korean Studies
in the United States.
, Palais graduated from Harvard University
in 1955 with a bachelor's degree in American history. He learned Korean at the Monterey Language Institute; and this sparked an interest in East Asia.
Following his discharge from the army, he earned an MA in Japanese History from Yale in 1960.
Palais studied at the Kyujanggak
from 1963 to 1965. His Ph.D. was conferred at Harvard in 1967. There he worked with Edward W. Wagner, one of only two historians in the United States then specializing in Korean history.
and the University of Maine
before being recruited to help build up what was then known as the Far Eastern and Russian Institute at the University of Washington. He became chairman of the Korean Studies Program there, and in 2002 he was made chairman of the East Asian Studies Institute as well.
Palais' arrival in 1968 made the University of Washington
program the largest Korean Studies Program on the North American mainland because there were three full-time scholars devoted exclusively to the study of Korea.
From 1974-77, Palais edited Occasional Papers on Korean Studies, as known as the Journal of Korean Studies
, which was edited out of the University of Washington
until 1988. Palais' political interests resulted in the Asia Watch report Human Rights in Korea (Washington, 1986), but perhaps his greatest work was the 1230-page Confucian Statecraft and Korean Institutions: Yu Hyongwon and the late Choson Dynasty, a comprehensive overview of Choson Dynasty (1392-1910) Korean institutions as discussed by the eminent 17th century Korean statesman,. This book was awarded the John Whitney Hall book prize as the best book on Japan or Korea in 1998.
Palais was recognized with the Yongjae Paek Nakchun Award from Korea's Yonsei University in 1995, and by The Association for Asian studies with a lifetime achievement award in Asian Studies in 2001. Palais was Dean for International Studies at Sungkyunkwan University in Korea for three years.
Palais continued his activity at the University of Washington
with editing, writing, and part time teaching in the Korea Studies Program until hospitalized with his final illness in the spring of 2005.
/WorldCat
encompasses roughly 10+ works in 50+ publications in 3 languages and 1,300+ library holdings.
The James B. Palais Professorship of Korean History at the University of Washington has been established in his honor.
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
; and he was a key figure in establishing Korean Studies
Korean Studies
Korean Studies can refer to:* Korean studies, the academic study of Korea* Korean Studies , an academic journal published by the University of Hawaii...
in the United States.
Early years
Born in Brookline, MassachusettsBrookline, Massachusetts
Brookline is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States, which borders on the cities of Boston and Newton. As of the 2010 census, the population of the town was 58,732.-Etymology:...
, Palais graduated from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in 1955 with a bachelor's degree in American history. He learned Korean at the Monterey Language Institute; and this sparked an interest in East Asia.
Following his discharge from the army, he earned an MA in Japanese History from Yale in 1960.
Palais studied at the Kyujanggak
Kyujanggak
The Kyujanggak was the royal library of the Joseon Dynasty, and functions today as a key repository of Korean historical records. It was founded in 1776 during the reign of Jeongjo, at which time it was located on the palace grounds of Changdeokgung...
from 1963 to 1965. His Ph.D. was conferred at Harvard in 1967. There he worked with Edward W. Wagner, one of only two historians in the United States then specializing in Korean history.
Career
Palais taught at Norfolk State UniversityNorfolk State University
Norfolk State University is a four-year, state-supported, coed, liberal arts, historically black university located in Norfolk, Virginia. It is member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund and the Virginia High-Tech Partnership.-Academics:...
and the University of Maine
University of Maine
The University of Maine is a public research university located in Orono, Maine, United States. The university was established in 1865 as a land grant college and is referred to as the flagship university of the University of Maine System...
before being recruited to help build up what was then known as the Far Eastern and Russian Institute at the University of Washington. He became chairman of the Korean Studies Program there, and in 2002 he was made chairman of the East Asian Studies Institute as well.
Palais' arrival in 1968 made the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
program the largest Korean Studies Program on the North American mainland because there were three full-time scholars devoted exclusively to the study of Korea.
From 1974-77, Palais edited Occasional Papers on Korean Studies, as known as the Journal of Korean Studies
Journal of Korean Studies
The Journal of Korean Studies is a biannual peer-reviewed academic journal covering Korean studies. It was established in 1969. The original series had two issues numbered Volume 1 and 2 that were edited by David Messler...
, which was edited out of the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
until 1988. Palais' political interests resulted in the Asia Watch report Human Rights in Korea (Washington, 1986), but perhaps his greatest work was the 1230-page Confucian Statecraft and Korean Institutions: Yu Hyongwon and the late Choson Dynasty, a comprehensive overview of Choson Dynasty (1392-1910) Korean institutions as discussed by the eminent 17th century Korean statesman,. This book was awarded the John Whitney Hall book prize as the best book on Japan or Korea in 1998.
Palais was recognized with the Yongjae Paek Nakchun Award from Korea's Yonsei University in 1995, and by The Association for Asian studies with a lifetime achievement award in Asian Studies in 2001. Palais was Dean for International Studies at Sungkyunkwan University in Korea for three years.
Palais continued his activity at the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
with editing, writing, and part time teaching in the Korea Studies Program until hospitalized with his final illness in the spring of 2005.
Selected works
In a statistical overview derived from writings by and about James Palais, OCLCOCLC
OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc. is "a nonprofit, membership, computer library service and research organization dedicated to the public purposes of furthering access to the world’s information and reducing information costs"...
/WorldCat
WorldCat
WorldCat is a union catalog which itemizes the collections of 72,000 libraries in 170 countries and territories which participate in the Online Computer Library Center global cooperative...
encompasses roughly 10+ works in 50+ publications in 3 languages and 1,300+ library holdings.
- Politics and Policy in Traditional Korea (1975)
- Korea on the Eve of the Kangwa Treaty, 1873-1876 (1989)
- Confucian statecraft and Korean Institutions: Yu Hyŏngwŏn and the late Chosŏn Dynasty (1995)
- Views on Korean Social History (1998)
Honors
- Yonsei UniversityYonsei UniversityYonsei University is a Christian private research university, located in Seoul, South Korea. Established in 1885, it is one of the oldest universities in South Korea, the top private comprehensive universities in South Korea, and is widely regarded as one of the top three comprehensive...
, Yongjae Paek Nakchun Award, 1995. - Association for Asian StudiesAssociation for Asian StudiesThe Association for Asian Studies is a U.S. society focused on facilitating contact and information exchange among scholars of Asian fields. It is the self-proclaimed largest society of its kind. The Association consists of eminent Asianists, and is a non-profit organization...
(AAS), John Whitney Hall Book PrizeJohn Whitney Hall Book PrizeThe John Whitney Hall Book Prize has been awarded annually since 1994 by the Association for Asian Studies . Pioneer Japanese studies scholar John Whitney Hall is commemorated in the name of this prize....
, 1998. - AAS Lifetime Achievement Award, 2001.
The James B. Palais Professorship of Korean History at the University of Washington has been established in his honor.