| 1 | Name: | Dr. William H. McNeill | |
| Institution: | University of Chicago | ||
| Year Elected: | 1977 | ||
| Class: | 3. Social Sciences | ||
| Subdivision: | 303. History Since 1715 | ||
| Residency: | Resident | ||
| Living? : | Deceased | ||
| Birth Date: | 1917 | ||
| Death Date: | July 8, 2016 | ||
Primarily known for his outstanding general histories, Canadian historian William Hardy McNeill was a highly qualified scholar of original mind and synthetic power. His most popular book, The Rise of the West, explored world history in terms of the effect that different civilizations have had upon one another over time, especially the dramatic effect of the west on others over the past 500 years. He had also written extensively on Europe's eastern frontier and on the history of European epidemics and their social effects. Among his other distinguished works are America, Britain and Russia, 1941-46 (1954); Europe's Steppe Frontier (1964); Venice, the Hinge of Europe, 1081-1797 (1974) and The Human Web: A Bird's-Eye View of World History, which he published with his son, the historian J.R. McNeill, in 2003. A member of the faculty of the University of Chicago since 1947, Dr. McNeill held the title of Robert A. Millikan Distinguished Service Professor of History Emeritus. He was an Erasmus Prize and National Book Award recipient, one of eight 2009 National Humanities Medalists, and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. He was elected a member of the American Philosophical Society in 1997. William H. McNeill died on July 8, 2016, at the age of 98. | |||