Malcolm H. Kerr
Encyclopedia
Malcomb H. Kerr was a university professor, specializing in the Middle East and the Arab world. Although a citizen of the United States of America, he was born and raised, and died, in Beirut, Lebanon. He served as President of the American University of Beirut
, a major institution of learning.
, on and near the campus of the American University of Beirut
, where his parents taught for forty years. During World War II the family relocated to Princeton University in New Jersey. After the war they returned to Beirut. Soon Malcomb went back alone to the U.S.A., graduating from high school at the Deerfield Academy
in Massachusetts.
His undergraduate degree in 1953 came from Princeton University
where he had studied with Prof. Philip Hitti. An early onset of arthritis caused him to return to his family in Lebanon; he entered a masters program, completing it in 1955 at the American University of Beirut. Here he met his wife, Ann Zwicker Kerr; they were gifted with four children. He commenced his graduate work in Baltimore at the School for Advanced International Studies, John Hopkins University, from where he received his Ph.D. in 1958. His dissertation was written "under the guidance of Majid Khadduri
and Sir Hamilton Gibb."
Following his doctorate, Kerr returned to teach at the American University of Beirut for three years. In 1959 his first book was published, emerging from his master's thesis: Lebanon in the Last Years of Feudalism. Then at Oxford University he did post-doctorate work for a year with Prof. Albert Hourani
. Prof. Gustave von Grunebaum had already recruited Kerr for a teaching post at the University of California at Los Angeles (U.C.L.A.); his career matured over the course of twenty years there, 1962 to 1982.
Prof. Kerr and his family returned often to Beirut
, Lebanon
, during vacations and breaks from U.C.L.A. In 1964-1965 an academic grant, however, sent him to Cairo
, Egypt
, where he worked on his most well-known book The Arab Cold War. That was published, and the next year he published Islamic Reform, a reworking of his doctorate dissertation. Following the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, Prof. Kerr sensed a drastic change for the worse in the tone of Arab politics, which became harsh and bitter. In 1970-1971 he accepted an academic grant to France and North Africa; there he worked on a third edition of The Arab Cold War. Prof. Kerr served as president of the Middle East Studies Association in 1972.
While teaching at U.C.L.A. in Los Angeles, he was appointed chairman of the Department of Political Science. Later he served as Dean in the Division of Social Sciences from 1973 to 1976.
The Civil war in Lebanon (1975-1990), which often severely disrupted all life in Beirut, also interrupted Kerr family travel. During 1976-1977 Kerr served as 'visiting distinguished professor' at the American University in Cairo
. Eventually he marshalled a Ford Foundation grant to fund a joint project of the Von Grunebaum Center at U.C.L.A. (which he then headed) and the Strategic Studies of the Al-Ahram Foundation in Egypt. He returned to Cairo in 1979, where he edited the results of this joint Egyptian-American academic effort, the book Rich and Poor States in the Middle East.
The Presidency of the American University of Beirut was offered to Prof. Kerr in 1982. Although the civil war in Lebanon was still being fiercely battled on occasion, the recent exit of the Palestinian Liberation Organization from the country and other positive signs encouraged hope for resolution. "Betting on these chances and feeling a sense of calling to the job, the Kerrs decided to go to Beirut." He accepted the position, serving as President for seventeen months. On January 18, 1984, he was shot and killed by two gunmen outside his office; he was 52. A telephone call from Islamic Jihad
later claimed responsibility. His sudden death, another tragic event in the Lebanese civil war, appeared world-wide in the news media.
American University of Beirut
The American University of Beirut is a private, independent university in Beirut, Lebanon. It was founded as the Syrian Protestant College by American missionaries in 1866...
, a major institution of learning.
Life and career
Malcolm Kerr's youth was spent in LebanonLebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
, on and near the campus of the American University of Beirut
American University of Beirut
The American University of Beirut is a private, independent university in Beirut, Lebanon. It was founded as the Syrian Protestant College by American missionaries in 1866...
, where his parents taught for forty years. During World War II the family relocated to Princeton University in New Jersey. After the war they returned to Beirut. Soon Malcomb went back alone to the U.S.A., graduating from high school at the Deerfield Academy
Deerfield Academy
Deerfield Academy is an independent, coeducational boarding school in Deerfield, Massachusetts, United States. It is a four-year college-preparatory school with approximately 600 students and about 100 faculty, all of whom live on or near campus....
in Massachusetts.
His undergraduate degree in 1953 came from Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
where he had studied with Prof. Philip Hitti. An early onset of arthritis caused him to return to his family in Lebanon; he entered a masters program, completing it in 1955 at the American University of Beirut. Here he met his wife, Ann Zwicker Kerr; they were gifted with four children. He commenced his graduate work in Baltimore at the School for Advanced International Studies, John Hopkins University, from where he received his Ph.D. in 1958. His dissertation was written "under the guidance of Majid Khadduri
Majid Khadduri
Majid Khadduri was an Iraqi–born founder of the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies Middle East Studies program. Internationally, he was recognized as a leading authority on a wide variety of Islamic subjects, modern history and the politics of the Middle East...
and Sir Hamilton Gibb."
Following his doctorate, Kerr returned to teach at the American University of Beirut for three years. In 1959 his first book was published, emerging from his master's thesis: Lebanon in the Last Years of Feudalism. Then at Oxford University he did post-doctorate work for a year with Prof. Albert Hourani
Albert Hourani
-Life and career:Hourani was born in Manchester, England, the son of Soumaya Rassi and Fadlo Issa Hourani, immigrants from Marjeyoun in what is now South Lebanon. His brothers were George Hourani and Cecil Hourani. His family had converted from Greek Orthodoxy...
. Prof. Gustave von Grunebaum had already recruited Kerr for a teaching post at the University of California at Los Angeles (U.C.L.A.); his career matured over the course of twenty years there, 1962 to 1982.
Prof. Kerr and his family returned often to Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
, Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
, during vacations and breaks from U.C.L.A. In 1964-1965 an academic grant, however, sent him to Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, where he worked on his most well-known book The Arab Cold War. That was published, and the next year he published Islamic Reform, a reworking of his doctorate dissertation. Following the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, Prof. Kerr sensed a drastic change for the worse in the tone of Arab politics, which became harsh and bitter. In 1970-1971 he accepted an academic grant to France and North Africa; there he worked on a third edition of The Arab Cold War. Prof. Kerr served as president of the Middle East Studies Association in 1972.
While teaching at U.C.L.A. in Los Angeles, he was appointed chairman of the Department of Political Science. Later he served as Dean in the Division of Social Sciences from 1973 to 1976.
The Civil war in Lebanon (1975-1990), which often severely disrupted all life in Beirut, also interrupted Kerr family travel. During 1976-1977 Kerr served as 'visiting distinguished professor' at the American University in Cairo
American University in Cairo
The American University in Cairo is an independent, non-profit, apolitical, secular institution of higher learning located in Cairo, Egypt...
. Eventually he marshalled a Ford Foundation grant to fund a joint project of the Von Grunebaum Center at U.C.L.A. (which he then headed) and the Strategic Studies of the Al-Ahram Foundation in Egypt. He returned to Cairo in 1979, where he edited the results of this joint Egyptian-American academic effort, the book Rich and Poor States in the Middle East.
His own scholarship was forthright and honest to the point of sometimes getting him into trouble. While he was often thought of as 'pro-Arab' in writing about the Israeli-Arab conflict, he could be as critical of the Arabs as he was of the Israelis. He spoke the truth as he saw it and was committed to the cause of Arab-Israeli peace and to building understanding between the Arab World and the West."
The Presidency of the American University of Beirut was offered to Prof. Kerr in 1982. Although the civil war in Lebanon was still being fiercely battled on occasion, the recent exit of the Palestinian Liberation Organization from the country and other positive signs encouraged hope for resolution. "Betting on these chances and feeling a sense of calling to the job, the Kerrs decided to go to Beirut." He accepted the position, serving as President for seventeen months. On January 18, 1984, he was shot and killed by two gunmen outside his office; he was 52. A telephone call from Islamic Jihad
Islamic Jihad Organization
The Islamic Jihad Organization – IJO or Organisation du Jihad Islamique in French, but best known as ‘Islamic Jihad’ for short, was a fundamentalist Shia group known for its activities in the 1980s during the Lebanese Civil War...
later claimed responsibility. His sudden death, another tragic event in the Lebanese civil war, appeared world-wide in the news media.
Publications
- Malcolm H. Kerr, Lebanon in the Last Years of Feudalism 1840-1868. A contemporary account by Antun Dahir Al-Aqiqi (American University of Beirut 1959)
- Malcolm H. Kerr, The Arab Cold War. Gamel Abd al-Nasr and his Rivals, 1958-1970 (Oxford University 1965, 3d ed. 1975)
- Malcolm H. Kerr, Islamic Reform. The political and legal theories of Muhammad 'Abduh and Rashid Ridā (Princeton University 1966)
- Malcolm H. Kerr, The Elusive Peace in the Middle East (SUNY 1975)
- Abraham S. Becker, Bent Hudson, & Malcolm H. Kerr, editors, Economics and Politics of the Middle East (New York: Elsevier 1975)
- Malcolm H. Kerr and al-Sayyid Yasin, editors, Rich and Poor States in the Middle East. Egypt and the New Arab Order (Westview 1982)
- Samir Seikaly and Ramzi Ba'labakki, editors, Quest for Understanding. Arabic and Islamic studies in honor of Malcolm H. Kerr (American University of Beirut 1991)
See also
- Muhammad AbduhMuhammad AbduhMuhammad Abduh was an Egyptian jurist, religious scholar and liberal reformer, regarded as the founder of Islamic Modernism...
- Rashid RidaRashid RidaMuhammad Rashid Rida is said to have been "one of the most influential scholars and jurists of his generation" and the "most prominent disciple of Muhammad Abduh"...
- Gamel Abd al-NasrGamal Abdel NasserGamal Abdel Nasser Hussein was the second President of Egypt from 1956 until his death. A colonel in the Egyptian army, Nasser led the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 along with Muhammad Naguib, the first president, which overthrew the monarchy of Egypt and Sudan, and heralded a new period of...
- American University of BeirutAmerican University of BeirutThe American University of Beirut is a private, independent university in Beirut, Lebanon. It was founded as the Syrian Protestant College by American missionaries in 1866...