Allan B. Calhamer
Encyclopedia
Allan B. Calhamer invented the board game Diplomacy
.
A friend of Calhamer's recounted how, when they were boys in La Grange Park, Illinois
, he and Calhamer "discovered in the attic a geography book that showed a map of Europe
before World War I
with the ... old boundaries." http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A38110-2004Nov9_3.html Years later, Calhamer put the memory to good use. He received his bachelor's
degree from Harvard University
in 1953. In 1954, while enrolled at Harvard Law School
, he developed a game of strategy and alliances that put seven players in control of the major powers of the pre-World War I era. Although he did not complete law school, his prototype game, still unpublished, was part of the reason that Sylvania
hired him in 1958 to do operations research
.
In 1959, Calhamer published his game as Diplomacy. He printed 500 copies. After selling all of them in six months, he licensed the game to a publisher. Over the years, Diplomacy has been published in North America by Games Research, Avalon Hill
, and Hasbro
, and has been published in several different languages in other nations by various publishers. Calhamer's original face-to-face board game has also been played by mail since 1963. More recently, there are internet Diplomacy
games, games run through email
or in online games with a human game master.
Calhamer wrote a book, Calhamer on Diplomacy: The Boardgame "Diplomacy" and Diplomatic History, but the game has not provided him with a living. As of 2004 he is retired from working as a mail carrier
in La Grange Park.http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/May-2009/All-in-the-Game/
Diplomacy (game)
Diplomacy is a strategic board game created by Allan B. Calhamer in 1954 and released commercially in 1959. Its main distinctions from most board wargames are its negotiation phases and the absence of dice or other game elements that produce random effects...
.
A friend of Calhamer's recounted how, when they were boys in La Grange Park, Illinois
La Grange Park, Illinois
La Grange Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village, which is a suburb of Chicago, population was 13,295.-Geography:La Grange Park is located at ....
, he and Calhamer "discovered in the attic a geography book that showed a map of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
before World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
with the ... old boundaries." http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A38110-2004Nov9_3.html Years later, Calhamer put the memory to good use. He received his bachelor's
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...
degree from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in 1953. In 1954, while enrolled at Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
, he developed a game of strategy and alliances that put seven players in control of the major powers of the pre-World War I era. Although he did not complete law school, his prototype game, still unpublished, was part of the reason that Sylvania
Osram Sylvania
Osram Sylvania Inc. is the North American operation of lighting manufacturer Osram GmbH, which is owned by Siemens AG. It was established in January 1993, with the acquisition of GTE’s Sylvania lighting division by Osram GmbH....
hired him in 1958 to do operations research
Operations research
Operations research is an interdisciplinary mathematical science that focuses on the effective use of technology by organizations...
.
In 1959, Calhamer published his game as Diplomacy. He printed 500 copies. After selling all of them in six months, he licensed the game to a publisher. Over the years, Diplomacy has been published in North America by Games Research, Avalon Hill
Avalon Hill
Avalon Hill was a game company that specialized in wargames and strategic board games. Its logo contained its initials "AH", and it was often referred to by this abbreviation. It also published the occasional miniature wargaming rules, role-playing game, and had a popular line of sports simulations...
, and Hasbro
Hasbro
Hasbro is a multinational toy and boardgame company from the United States of America. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States...
, and has been published in several different languages in other nations by various publishers. Calhamer's original face-to-face board game has also been played by mail since 1963. More recently, there are internet Diplomacy
Internet Diplomacy
Internet Diplomacy refers to any of a number of online implementations of Diplomacy, a board game in which seven players, each controlling one of the major European powers of the early 20th century, fight for control over Europe....
games, games run through email
Email
Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
or in online games with a human game master.
Calhamer wrote a book, Calhamer on Diplomacy: The Boardgame "Diplomacy" and Diplomatic History, but the game has not provided him with a living. As of 2004 he is retired from working as a mail carrier
Mail carrier
A mail carrier, mailman, postal carrier, postman, postwoman , postman/postwoman , letter carrier or postie is an employee of the post office or postal service, who delivers mail and parcel post to residences and businesses...
in La Grange Park.http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/May-2009/All-in-the-Game/
Articles written by Calhamer
- Military Intelligence (1960)
- On Strengthening the hand of Austria-Hungary (1960)
- The Tactics of Diplomacy (1961)
- A Dozen Years of Diplomacy (1966)
- On the Play of Postal Diplomacy by Allan Calhamer (1966)
- The Invention of Diplomacy (1974)
- Across the Whole Board (1974)
- Objectives Other Than Winning (1974)
- Introduction to Diplomacy (1975)
- The Coast of Moscow
Further reading
- Calhamer on Diplomacy: The Boardgame "Diplomacy" and Diplomatic History (1999)
- Articles by Allan B. Calhamer at Diplomacy-Archive.com
- 2009 profile of Calhamer at chicagomag.com