Charles Ritcheson
| Charles Ritcheson | |
|---|---|
| Born |
February 26, 1925 Maysville, Oklahoma |
| Died | December 8, 2011 (aged 86) Washington, D.C. |
| Occupation | historian, diplomat, university administrator |
| Nationality | United States |
| Genre | British history |
| Subject | 1760-1815 |
Charles Ray Ritcheson (born 26 February 1925 – 8 December 2011) was an American historian, diplomat, and university administrator.
The son of Charles Frederick Ritcheson and Jewell Vaughn, Ritcheson was raised in Oklahoma and attended the University of Oklahoma. Interrupting his studies, he served in the U.S. Naval Reserve from 1942 to 1945, becoming a Lieutenant, Junior Grade.When Admiral Elliott Buckmaster took command of Task Force 74 operating in the South China Seas, Ritcheson joined his staff as Signal Officer. After the end of the war, Ritcheson returned to his studies and obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy and classics in 1946. After postgraduate study in history at Zurich University in 1947 and Harvard University in 1948, he went to St Edmund Hall, Oxford, where he was awarded his D.Phil. in 1951 with a thesis on "The impact of the American problem on British politics, 1760-1780".
In 1951, Oklahoma College for Women appointed him assistant professor of history and then promoted him to associate professor in 1952. Kenyon College appointed him associate professor in 1953 and professor in 1960. In 1964-65, he served as chairman of the history department at Kenyon, before taking up an appointment as chairman and director of graduate studies in history at Southern Methodist University, a position he held until 1970. During that period, he was also director of the Center for Ibero-American Civilization, 1967-68. In 1970-71, he served as director with rank of dean Library Advancement. In 1971-74, he served as Colin Rhys Professor of British History at the University of Southern California, and then became cultural attaché(Foreign Service Officer Grade 1) at the American Embassy, London. Returning from his diplomatic assignment in the United Kingdom, he became Lovell Distinguished Professor, 1977–1984 and was awarded the university prize for creative scholarship. Between 1984 and 1990, he was the University Professor, University Librarian, and Dean and special advisor to the university's president. Upon his retirement in 1990, the University of Southern California appointed him University Professor emeritus, and University Librarian and Dean emeritus. In 2000, he was additionally appointed Distinguished Emeritus Professor.
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