GRAY, Louis Herbert. Newark, NJ 10.4.1875 — New York 18.8.1955. U.S. Indologist, Iranian Scholar and Linguist. Professor in New York. Studies at Princeton (A.B. 1896) and Columbia (A.M. 1898, Ph.D. 1900, under A. V. Williams Jackson). In 1900-02 chief cataloguer and Instructor of Indo-Iranian at Princeton, 1902-03 editor in the…
GÖTZE, Albrecht Ernst Rudolf. Leipzig 11.1.1897 — Garmisch-Partenkirchen 15.8.1971. German Semitic and IE Scholar in the U.S.A. Born in a Jewish family, the son of the physician Rudolf G. (d. 1920) and Elsa Rommler. Grew up in Darmstadt. From 1915 studies at Munich, Leipzig, Berlin, and Heidelberg, in 1916-19 served…
GEIGER, Bernhard. Bielitz-Biala in Austrian Silesia (now Polish Bielsko) 30.4.1881 — New York 5.7.1964. Austrian Indo-Iranian Scholar, later in the U.S.A. Professor in Vienna and New York. Son of Chiel G., a Jewish tailor who moved in 1902 to the U.S.A. School and gymnasium in Biala. Studies of Semitics, Iranian and…
ERSKINE, William. Edinburgh 8.11.1773 — Edinburgh 20.5.1852. British (Scottish) Civil Servant and Lawyer. 1804-23 in India. Son of David E., a lawyer, and Jean Melvin. Educated at Royal High School and Edinburgh University (dr. iuris). He “was a lawyer’s apprentice, 1792-9, went to India in 1803-4 with Sir James Mackintosh”,…
DARMESTETER, James. Château-Salins (Meurth, Lorraine) 28.3.1849 — Maisons-Laffitte near Paris 19.10.1894. French Iranian Scholar. Professor in Paris. Son of Calmann D., a Jewish bookbinder, and Rosalie Brandeis, younger brother of the philologist Arsène D. (1846–1888). Educated in Paris, matriculated from Lycée Concordet in 1866. Then studied philology (lic. 1868) and…
CUMONT, Franz Valéry Marie. Aalst 3.1.1868 — Brussels 20.8.1947. Belgian Scholar of Ancient Religions, History and Archaeology. Son of Florent C., a textile factory owner, and Maria Faider, educated in Brussels. Studies at Ghent, Ph.D. 1887. Then further studies at Bonn, Berlin, Vienna and Paris. From 1892 taught, from 1906…
CORBIN, Henry. Paris 14.4.1903 — Paris 7.10.1978. French Philosopher, Theologian and Scholar of Iranian Religion and Islam. Son of Henri Arthur C. and Eugénie Fournier. Born in a Protestant family, but had catholic education. Studied philosophy in Paris (degree 1925), in 1928 led by Massignon to Suhrawardi. Now also studied…
CLOSS, Alois. Neumarkt in Steiermark 27.10.1893 — Graz 10.1.1984. Austrian Iranian Scholar. Librarian in Graz. Son of Alois Closs, a court official, and Rosa Halm, elder brother the Germanist August Closs (1898–1990). Educated in Graz, 1911-15 studies of theology at Graz (Dr.theol.), ordained 1916. In 1916-21 minister and teacher of…
CHRISTENSEN, Arthur Emanuel. Copenhagen 9.1.1875 — Copenhagen 31.3.1945. Danish Iranian Scholar. Professor in Copenhagen. Son of post official Vilhelm Chr. and Dorothea Kjerstine Marcussen. Matriculated in Copenhagen 1893. Studied languages, mainly French, at Copenhagen, mag. 1900. He had early become interested in the East and studied also Oriental languages: Arabic…
CASARTELLI, Louis Charles. Manchester 14.11.1852 — Salford near Manchester 18.1.1925. Right Rev. British (of Italian origin) Iranian Scholar and Catholic Bishop. Son of an Italian exile from Como, North Italy, Joseph Louis C., working as optician in Manchester, and Jane Henrietta Ronchetti, educated at Salford Catholic Grammar School. Studies at…