Franz H. Michael papers

Franz H. Michael (1907-92) was director of The George Washington University's (GW) Institute for Sino-Soviet Studies from 1969 to 1972. A noted expert on Chinese history and Far Eastern affairs, Michael came to GW in 1964 as the associate director of the institute under Kurt London. He also served as professor of Chinese history and international affairs. Michael specialized in nineteenth-century China and in Sino-Soviet relations, and testified before several subcommittees of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. He also did work on behalf of the State Department and Arms Control and Disarmament Agency.

Michael was born on March 10, 1907 in Freiburg, Germany. He studied at the Universities of Freiburg, Hamburg, and Berlin from 1925-33, earning his Doctor of Jurisprudence in 1933. He served as an attache in the German diplomatic service, but left after Hitler's seizure of power. From 1933 to1938 he worked and studied in China as a professor at the National Chekiang University in Hangchow. In 1938, he left China and came to the United States, teaching Chinese affairs and European history at Johns Hopkins University from 1939 to 1942.

Before coming to GW, Michael was assistant and acting director of the Far Eastern and Russian Institute at the University of Washington, where he taught from 1942 to 1964. Michael then came to George Washington University in 1964 as the associate director of the Institute of Sino-Soviet Studies and later became the director in 1969. He authored numerous books and articles, including "The Origin of Manchu Rule in China" (1942) and "The Far East in the Modern World" (1955). Dr. Michael also gave a commencement address to the School of Public and International Affairs in June 1970.

Michael retired from GW in 1977. He was married to his wife Dolores and had a son and daughter. He died in August 1, 1992 in Monterey, California.

N.B. This history note was written in 2005