SORLEY, Herbert Tower. 12.4.1892 — 7.8.1968. British Civil Servant in India, Sindhi Scholar. Son of John T. Sorley, City Chamberlain of Aberdeen. M.A. 1914 Aberdeen. Served in I.C.S., apparently until 1947. In 1939 he was Collector of Bombay, then Chief Secretary to Government, Political and Services Department, Bombay. D.Litt. C.I.E.…
SOMS (Y) CASTELÍN, Enrique. 1860 — 1913. Spanish Linguist. Ph.D. Professor of Greek at Salamanca, from 1891 at Madrid. After Gelabert y Gordiola’s death (1894) taught Sanskrit classes at Madrid University until Daza de Campos was nominated in 1897. Friend of Miguel de Unamuno. Publications: Translated G. Curtius’ Gramática griega…
SMITH, Ray Caldwell. 20.7.1872 — India 1922. Rev. U.S. Presbyterian Missionary in India. Son of Rev. George B. Smith (1841–1941) and Anna Elizabeth Caldwell (1842–1906). Studies at San Francisco Theological Seminary. Soon after marriage to India. In 1914 in Fatehpur, then at Landour Language School in Mussoorie. Married 1900 Huetta…
SMIRNOVA, Ol’ga Ivanovna. Petergof (Petrodvorec) 14.(27.)6.1910 — 13.1. 1982. Russian Central Asian (Sogdian) Scholar and Historian. Daughter of an officer. Graduated 1934 from Leningrad as student of Frejman. Kand. filol. nauk 1945. Employed in 1934-35 in Numismatic Department of Hermitage, then 1935–82 naučnyj sotrudnik (1948 staršij n. s.) at Oriental…
SMÉKAL, Odolen. Olomouc 18.8.1928 — Prague 17.6.1998 (or 13.6.). Czech Indologist (Hindi Scholar). Son of Václav Martin Smékal (1890–1948) and Anežka Smičková. Matriculated from gymnasium in Kroměříž.Studies at Charles University in Prague (Pořízka), matriculated 1952. Ph.D. in Hindi. From 1954 taught Hindi at Charles University. In 1993-96 diplomat in New…
SIMON, Ernst Julius Walter (Ximen Xuade). Berlin 10.6.1893 — London 22.2.1981. German Sinologist and Sino-Tibetan Scholar in the U.K. Professor in London. Son of mathematician Heinrich Simon (1859–1930) and Cläre Abraham (murdered in Ghetto Theresienstadt). Studies of classical and Romance philology in 1911-14 at Berlin, 1915-18 in army. Employed in…
SIMON, Richard Nathan. Hamburg 10.9.1865 — Berlin 14. or 17.8.1934. German Indologist. Born in a family of Jewish origin, son of Isidor Simon (1823–1889) and Rosalia Marcus educated at Johanneum in Hamburg. In 1884-88 studied at Leipzig, Freiburg, Berlin, and Halle classical, German and Indian philology, in which his teachers…
SILVESTRE DE SACY, Antoine Isaac (baron 1814). Paris 21.9.1758 — Paris 21.2.1838. French Oriental (Arabic and Persian) Scholar. Professor in Paris. Son of Abraham Jacques Silvestre (1722–1765), a notary, and Marie Marguerite Judde, a Jansenist Jewish family, lost early his father. Privately educated, studied law. In 1781-92 worked in financial…
SHIRT, George. Cawthorne, Yorkshire 1843 — Quetta 16.6.1886. Rev. British Missionary in India. Son of the elder George Shirt (1813–1896) and his wife Sarah (1811–1848). Educated at C. M. S. College in London, studies at Cambridge (B.A. 1864). Left for India in 1866 and worked for Church Missionary Society in…
NAKAMURA, Susumu Winston. California 17.3.1908 — Berkeley 15.6.1989. U.S. Buddhist Scholar. M.A. Studied Tibetan at Berkeley under Lessing (M.A.), but never completed his Ph.D. Taught Japanese as Lecturer at Universities of Colorado (in Boulder, during WW II) and Berkeley. Married Fumie Yanagisana, at least one son. Publications: “Pradakshina, a Buddhist…