Ira M. Lapidus
Encyclopedia
Ira M. Lapidus is an Emeritus Professor of History, Islamic Social History at The University of California at Berkeley
. He is the author of A History of Islamic Societies, and Contemporary Islamic Movements in Historical Perspective, among other works.
Lapidus was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He was born to immigrant parents, who instilled a sense of the value of education in him and his brother. He attended Jefferson High School in Brooklyn, where a history teacher helped him prepare for admissions tests and suggested he pursue Asian history studies.
Lapidus went on to college and graduate school at Harvard
. As an undergraduate at Harvard, he took a course in Middle Eastern history taught by Sir Hamilton Gibb
. He enjoyed the class and liked the instructor, who encouraged him to pursue social sciences in addition to history. Lapidus continued taking classes in Middle Eastern history, and upon graduation entered a career in academia.
His personal interests include travel and photography.
American Philosophical Society, elected member, 1994
Fellow, Rockefeller Foundation, Bellagio Study Center, 1990
Director, The Urban History Association, 1990—1996
Contemporary Islamic Movements in Historical Perspective, 1984
A History of Islamic Societies, 1988, 2002
Middle Eastern Cities, editor, 1969
Islam, Politics and Social Movements, editor (with Edmund Burke), 1988
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
. He is the author of A History of Islamic Societies, and Contemporary Islamic Movements in Historical Perspective, among other works.
Lapidus was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He was born to immigrant parents, who instilled a sense of the value of education in him and his brother. He attended Jefferson High School in Brooklyn, where a history teacher helped him prepare for admissions tests and suggested he pursue Asian history studies.
Lapidus went on to college and graduate school at Harvard
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...
. As an undergraduate at Harvard, he took a course in Middle Eastern history taught by Sir Hamilton Gibb
Hamilton Alexander Rosskeen Gibb
Sir Hamilton Alexander Rosskeen Gibb , also commonly referred to as "H. A. R. Gibb", was a Scottish historian on Orientalism.-Early life and education:...
. He enjoyed the class and liked the instructor, who encouraged him to pursue social sciences in addition to history. Lapidus continued taking classes in Middle Eastern history, and upon graduation entered a career in academia.
His personal interests include travel and photography.
Fellowships, honors and awards
Lifetime Achievement Award, Middle East Medievalists, 2001American Philosophical Society, elected member, 1994
Fellow, Rockefeller Foundation, Bellagio Study Center, 1990
Professional associations
President, Middle East Studies Association, 1983-84Director, The Urban History Association, 1990—1996
Books
Muslim Cities in the Later Middle Ages, 1967, 1984Contemporary Islamic Movements in Historical Perspective, 1984
A History of Islamic Societies, 1988, 2002
Middle Eastern Cities, editor, 1969
Islam, Politics and Social Movements, editor (with Edmund Burke), 1988