MCGOVERN, William Montgomery. New York 28.12.1897 — Evanston, Ill. 12.12.1964. U.S.Anthropologist and Journalist. Professor in Evanston. Son of Janet Blair (née Montgomery) and Felix Daniel McGovern. Grew up in Japan, then studied at Sorbonne and Berlin. D.Phil. 1922 Oxford (Christ Church). Taught Chinese at S.O.A.S. 1918-24. In 1922-23 visited Tibet and Lhasa in disguise, via India. The British were angry of the illegal travel and therefore he left the U.K. Another clandestine visit to Peru and Amazonas in 1925. From c. 1927 Assistant Curator of Anthropology in Field Museum, Chicago. From 1937 correspondent of Chicago Times in Tokyo, visited Manchukuo. In 1941-45 served as journalist in U.S. Naval Reserve in Pacific and Germany. From 1929 until death Professor of Far Eastern Studies at Northwestern University. Married 1927 Margaret Montgomery (his second cousin), three daughters and a son. Died after long illness.Buddhism (Jōdo Shinshū) he knew from his youth. His Central Asian history was much criticised.
Publications: An Introduction to Mahayana Buddhism with especial References to Chinese and Japanese Phrases. 233 p. 1922; A Manual of Buddhist Philosophy. 1. Cosmology. 205 p. L. 1923.
– To Lhasa in Disguise: A Secret Expedition through Mysterious Tibet. 14+462 p. 1924.
– The Early Empires of Central Asia: a study of the Scythians and the Huns and the part they played in world history, with special reference to the Chinese sources. 13+529 p. Chapel Hill NC 1939.
– Other works.
Sources: Lopez 2008, 188f.; Wikipedia with photo.
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