Manfred Halpern

'Manfred Halpern (Mittweida, Germany, 1924 - 2001), an American political scientist and noted scholar of the Middle East and author of the foundational study of post-imperial politics in the Middle East, The Politics of Social Change in the Middle East and North Africa.

Born to Jewish parents in Germany, he fled the Nazi regime as a child with his parents in 1937, settling in New York City where he attended Townsend Harris High School.

Halpern was an undergraduate at UCLA when WWII began. He joined the Army, serving as a battalion scout in the 28th Infantry Division and seeing action in the Battle of the Bulge and other battles. After Germany surrendered, Halpern served in Counterintelligence helping trace former Nazis in Germany, including in his hometown of Mitteweida; he also, served as an instructor in the Counterintelligence Corps.

After the War Halpern returned to UCLA and completed his degree, the earned his master's degree and doctorate from the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University. Between 1948 and 1958 he served in the State Department in intelligence research as an expert on Near Eastern and North African politics. He was given the Department's Meritorious Service Award in 1952.

Halpern joined the faculty of Princeton University in 1958, where he taught until his retirement in 1994.

...
Wikipedia