J. H. Parry
Encyclopedia
John Horace Parry CMG
, MBE
(born in Handsworth
, Birmingham
, England, on 26 April 1914 - died in Cambridge, Massachusetts
on August 1982) was a distinguished maritime historian, who served as Gardiner Professor of Oceanic History and Affairs
at Harvard University
.
, where he also completed his Ph.D. in history in 1938. On 18 March 1938, he married Joyce Carter. Together they had three daughters and a son. His academic career was interrupted by World War II, during which he served as an officer in the Royal Navy in 1940-1945, rising to become a lieutenant-commander. He was torpedoed three times. For his war service, he was made a Member of the British Empire in 1942.
, where he was tutor in history 1945-1949. He served additionally as senior proctor, 1947–48 and university lecturer in history, 1946-1949. In 1949, he was appointed professor of modern history at the newly established University College of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica, an appointment he held until 1956.
In 1954-55, he was visiting professor at Harvard University
, then returned briefly to Jamaica before being appointed principal of University College, Ibadan, Nigeria in 1956. Parry remained in that post until 1960, when he was selected as principal of the University College of Swansea. In 1963 he became vice-chancellor of the University of Wales, Cardiff, where he remained until he was selected as Gardiner Professor of Oceanic History and Affairs
at Harvard University
. He died of a heart attack at his home on Wednesday 25 August 1982.
While at Harvard he taught a sequence of courses devoted to sailing, European expansion, and the establishment of overseas empires.
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
, MBE
MBE
MBE can stand for:* Mail Boxes Etc.* Management by exception* Master of Bioethics* Master of Bioscience Enterprise* Master of Business Engineering* Master of Business Economics* Mean Biased Error...
(born in Handsworth
Handsworth, West Midlands
Handsworth is an inner city area of Birmingham in the West Midlands, England. The Local Government Act 1894 divided the ancient Staffordshire parish of Handsworth into two urban districts: Handsworth and Perry Barr. Handsworth was annexed to the county borough of Birmingham in Warwickshire in 1911...
, Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England, on 26 April 1914 - died in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
on August 1982) was a distinguished maritime historian, who served as Gardiner Professor of Oceanic History and Affairs
Gardiner Professor of Oceanic History and Affairs
The Gardiner Chair of Oceanic History and Affairs was established at Harvard University in 1948.The chair is named is named in honor of William Howard Gardiner , a publicist and advocate of the importance of sea power, who had been President of the United States Navy League from 1928 to 1933...
at 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...
.
Early life and education
John Parry was the son of a teacher, Walter Austin Parry and his wife Ethel Piddock. He was educated at Clare College, CambridgeClare College, Cambridge
Clare College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1326, making it the second-oldest surviving college of the University after Peterhouse. Clare is famous for its chapel choir and for its gardens on "the Backs"...
, where he also completed his Ph.D. in history in 1938. On 18 March 1938, he married Joyce Carter. Together they had three daughters and a son. His academic career was interrupted by World War II, during which he served as an officer in the Royal Navy in 1940-1945, rising to become a lieutenant-commander. He was torpedoed three times. For his war service, he was made a Member of the British Empire in 1942.
Academic career
Upon demobilization, Parry returned to Clare College, CambridgeClare College, Cambridge
Clare College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1326, making it the second-oldest surviving college of the University after Peterhouse. Clare is famous for its chapel choir and for its gardens on "the Backs"...
, where he was tutor in history 1945-1949. He served additionally as senior proctor, 1947–48 and university lecturer in history, 1946-1949. In 1949, he was appointed professor of modern history at the newly established University College of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica, an appointment he held until 1956.
In 1954-55, he was visiting professor at 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...
, then returned briefly to Jamaica before being appointed principal of University College, Ibadan, Nigeria in 1956. Parry remained in that post until 1960, when he was selected as principal of the University College of Swansea. In 1963 he became vice-chancellor of the University of Wales, Cardiff, where he remained until he was selected as Gardiner Professor of Oceanic History and Affairs
Gardiner Professor of Oceanic History and Affairs
The Gardiner Chair of Oceanic History and Affairs was established at Harvard University in 1948.The chair is named is named in honor of William Howard Gardiner , a publicist and advocate of the importance of sea power, who had been President of the United States Navy League from 1928 to 1933...
at 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...
. He died of a heart attack at his home on Wednesday 25 August 1982.
While at Harvard he taught a sequence of courses devoted to sailing, European expansion, and the establishment of overseas empires.
Awards and honours
- Member of the Order of the British EmpireOrder of the British EmpireThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, 1942 - Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George, 1960
- Honorary L.L.D., University of Ceara, 1964
- Commander of the Order of Alfonos X of Castile, 1976
Published works
- The Spanish theory of empire in the sixteenth century (1940, 1949, 1974, 1978)
- The audiencia of New Galicia in the sixteenth century : a study in Spanish colonial government (1948, 1968)
- The sale of public office in the Spanish Indies under the Habsburgs (1953)
- Europe and a wider world, 1415-1715 (1949, 1966); reprinted as The establishment of the European hegemony, 1415-1715 : trade and exploration in the age of the Renaissance (1961)
- A short history of the West Indies, by J.H. Parry, P.M. Sherlock, A.P. Maingot (1956, 1960, 1963, 1971, 1987)
- The cities of the Conquistadores (1961)
- The age of reconnaissance (1963, 1966, 1973)
- The Spanish seaborne empire (1966, 1973, 1977, 1990)
- The European reconnaissance: selected documents(1968)
- The discovery of the sea (1973)
- Trade and dominion : the European oversea empires in the eighteenth century (1971, 1974, 2000)
- The discovery of the sea (1974, 1975, 1981)
- The discovery of South America (1979)
- Romance of the sea (1981)
- New iberian world : a documentary history of the discovery and settlement of Latin America to the early 17th century, edited, with commentaries by John H. Parry and Robert G. Keith ; with the assistance of Michael Jimenez (1984)