Treat, Payson J. (Payson Jackson), 1879-1972

Treat, a pioneer in Far Eastern studies, came to Stanford in 1903 to pursue his doctorate in history. He was appointed instructor in 1905 and then professor in Far Eastern History in 1906. He served as head of the History Department from 1922-1929; he retired from teaching in 1945.

Margaret Cosgrave Sowers earned her a.b. at Stanford University in January of 1927. Payson J. Treat was a professor of history at Stanford.

American historian.

Biographical/Historical Sketch

Payson Jackson Treat, a pioneer in Far Eastern studies, lived from 1879 to 1972. A native of New York City, he earned his A.B. from Wesleyan University in 1900, and began teaching at Barnard School while working on his A.M. at Columbia. In 1903, he came to Stanford to work with Professor Max Farrand in the history department, and was appointed an instructor at Stanford in 1905 . He received Stanford's first Ph.D. in history in 1910 with his dissertation, The National Land System, 1785-1820.

In 1906, Dr. Jordan, intrigued with the Far East, created a professorship in Far Eastern history and appointed Payson Treat to fill it. Dr. Jordan also planned for him a leave of absence from 1906-07 to visit the Orient and Australasia. This was to be the first of five extended trips to the Far East. On these trips, he not only took the opportunity to become one of America's leading scholars on the Orient, but he also began to gather materials from the East for the Stanford libraries.

During his career, he published numerous books and articles on the Far East. He participated in the activities of the Institute of Pacific Relations in an effort to maintain peaceful relations between East and West. For his efforts along these lines, he was decorated with the Third Class Order of the Sacred Treasure in 1935 by the Emperor of Japan. He served as department head of the Stanford history department from 1922-1929, and, even after his retirement from teaching in 1945, he remained active in the Stanford community.

Biographical Note