Sidney Fine (historian)
Encyclopedia
Sidney Fine was a professor of history
at the University of Michigan
. He authored many books on Frank Murphy
, who served successively as mayor of Detroit, governor of Michigan, U.S. attorney general and associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. He was a Guggenheim Fellow and twice the winner of the University of Michigan Press Award. He received the University of Michigan's Distinguished Faculty Achievement Award in 1969. He died on March 31, 2009 at the age of 86.
in 1920. He was awarded his B.A.
from Western Reserve University in 1942, served in the Navy
, serving as a Japanese Language
Officer from 1942-1946, and earned both an M.A.
(1944) and Ph.D.
(1948) in history from the University of Michigan
. Dr. Fine was a specialist in modern American history, with interest in the history of the labor movement, the New Deal
, and the history of Michigan
and its political environment. He wrote and edited over fifteen books and many articles.
Sidney Fine’s first appointment at the University of Michigan was as a teaching assistant in 1946. He accepted a position as a UM instructor in 1948 and was appointed as an assistant professor, an associate professor, then a full professor in 1959 in the History Department. Dr. Fine acted as advisor to masters and doctoral students, served on many doctoral committees, and was chairman of the department from 1969-1971. He was named the Richard Hudson
Research Professor of History, the Andrew Dickson White
Distinguished Professor of History, the Henry Russel Lecturer
, and was named the “Professor of the Year” for the state of Michigan in 1986. He is the only member of the UM faculty to have ever been designated as the Henry Russel Lecturer as well as being honored by the undergraduates with the Golden Apple Award for outstanding university teaching.
During the course of his career, he taught over 26,000 students. His continued presence was a significant factor in getting the Michigan legislature
to repeal mandatory retirement at age 70 for university professors.
He retired from UM in May 2001.
Fine was very active in the University of Michigan community, serving on numerous committees in the College of Literature, Science & the Arts (LSA) and the general university community. He was the adviser for student associations such as Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Kappa Phi
, and he served on the executive and advisory committees of UM libraries, including the Bentley Historical Library
, the Gerald R. Ford Library, and the Friends of University Library. Dr. Fine was very involved in library and archive issues nationally, serving on the Archives Advisory Council and the Public Documents Commission. He also consulted on several UM-related and private projects such as the Ford Corporate History Project, the UAW Oral History Project, and television series on labor history. Dr. Fine was a member of many professional societies and served on the editorial board of several history journals.
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
. He authored many books on Frank Murphy
Frank Murphy
William Francis Murphy was a politician and jurist from Michigan. He served as First Assistant U.S. District Attorney, Eastern Michigan District , Recorder's Court Judge, Detroit . Mayor of Detroit , the last Governor-General of the Philippines , U.S...
, who served successively as mayor of Detroit, governor of Michigan, U.S. attorney general and associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. He was a Guggenheim Fellow and twice the winner of the University of Michigan Press Award. He received the University of Michigan's Distinguished Faculty Achievement Award in 1969. He died on March 31, 2009 at the age of 86.
Biography
Sidney Fine was born in Cleveland, OhioCleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
in 1920. He was awarded his B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from Western Reserve University in 1942, served in the Navy
Navy
A navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions...
, serving as a Japanese Language
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
Officer from 1942-1946, and earned both an M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
(1944) and Ph.D.
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...
(1948) in history from the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
. Dr. Fine was a specialist in modern American history, with interest in the history of the labor movement, the New Deal
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. They were passed by the U.S. Congress during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The programs were Roosevelt's responses to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call...
, and the history of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
and its political environment. He wrote and edited over fifteen books and many articles.
Sidney Fine’s first appointment at the University of Michigan was as a teaching assistant in 1946. He accepted a position as a UM instructor in 1948 and was appointed as an assistant professor, an associate professor, then a full professor in 1959 in the History Department. Dr. Fine acted as advisor to masters and doctoral students, served on many doctoral committees, and was chairman of the department from 1969-1971. He was named the Richard Hudson
Richard Hudson
Richard “Dick” Hudson is a British linguist. He has lived in England for most of his life . He turned into a linguist via Loughborough Grammar School in Leicestershire , Corpus Christi College, Cambridge and the School of Oriental and African Studies...
Research Professor of History, the Andrew Dickson White
Andrew Dickson White
Andrew Dickson White was a U.S. diplomat, historian, and educator, who was the co-founder of Cornell University.-Family and personal life:...
Distinguished Professor of History, the Henry Russel Lecturer
Lecturer
Lecturer is an academic rank. In the United Kingdom, lecturer is a position at a university or similar institution, often held by academics in their early career stages, who lead research groups and supervise research students, as well as teach...
, and was named the “Professor of the Year” for the state of Michigan in 1986. He is the only member of the UM faculty to have ever been designated as the Henry Russel Lecturer as well as being honored by the undergraduates with the Golden Apple Award for outstanding university teaching.
During the course of his career, he taught over 26,000 students. His continued presence was a significant factor in getting the Michigan legislature
Michigan Legislature
The Michigan Legislature is the legislative assembly of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is organized as a bicameral body consisting of the Senate, the upper house, and the House of Representatives, the lower house. Article IV of the state's Constitution, adopted in 1963, defines the role of the...
to repeal mandatory retirement at age 70 for university professors.
He retired from UM in May 2001.
Fine was very active in the University of Michigan community, serving on numerous committees in the College of Literature, Science & the Arts (LSA) and the general university community. He was the adviser for student associations such as Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Kappa Phi
Phi Kappa Phi
The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi is an honor society established 1897 to recognize and encourage superior scholarship without restriction as to area of study and to promote the "unity and democracy of education"...
, and he served on the executive and advisory committees of UM libraries, including the Bentley Historical Library
Bentley Historical Library
The Bentley Historical Library is a historical library located on the University of Michigan's North Campus in Ann Arbor. It was established in 1935 by the regents of the University of Michigan...
, the Gerald R. Ford Library, and the Friends of University Library. Dr. Fine was very involved in library and archive issues nationally, serving on the Archives Advisory Council and the Public Documents Commission. He also consulted on several UM-related and private projects such as the Ford Corporate History Project, the UAW Oral History Project, and television series on labor history. Dr. Fine was a member of many professional societies and served on the editorial board of several history journals.
By Fine
- Laissez Faire and the General-Welfare State a Study, (Ann Arbor Paperbacks, The University of Michigan Press, 1956) ISBN 0472060864
- "Frank Murphy in World War I". The Michigan Historical Collections and Bentley Library Bulletin, Number 17 (Ann Arbor: Michigan Historical Collections, 1968) Photos, 44 pp.
- Sit-down: The General Motors Strike of 1936-1937. (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1969). ISBN 9780472329489; ISBN 0472329480; ISBN 039511778X.
- Frank Murphy: The Detroit Years. (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan PressUniversity of Michigan PressThe University of Michigan Press is part of the University of Michigan Library and serves as a primary publishing unit of the University of Michigan, with special responsibility for the creation and promotion of scholarly, educational, and regional books and other materials in digital and print...
, 1975) 618 pages. ISBN 0472329499. - Frank Murphy: The New Deal Years. (Chicago: University of Chicago PressUniversity of Chicago PressThe University of Chicago Press is the largest university press in the United States. It is operated by the University of Chicago and publishes a wide variety of academic titles, including The Chicago Manual of Style, dozens of academic journals, including Critical Inquiry, and a wide array of...
, 1979) ISBN 0226249344; ISBN 9780226249346; ISBN 0226658716. - Frank Murphy. Volume 3, The Washington Years (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1984) ISBN 0472100467.
- Violence in the Model City: The Cavanagh Administration, Race Relations, and the Detroit Riot of 1967 (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1989).