Lopez, Robert S. (Robert Sabatino), 1910-1985

Robert Sabatino Lopez was born in Genoa, Italy, in 1910. He received a Dottore in Lettere degree from the University of Milan (1932), and a doctorate from the University of Wisconsin (1942). He taught history, literature, and medieval and economic history in Italy between 1933 and 1938, and emigrated to the United States in 1939. Lopez taught at Brooklyn College (1943-1944), Columbia University (1944-1945) and Yale University (1946-1981). Lopez was instrumental in the founding of the Yale University Graduate School Medieval Studies Program, and served as the program's first chairman from 1961-1974. A prolific writer, Lopez's works include The Birth of Europe (1961) and The Commercial Revolution of Europe (1971). He died in 1986.

From the description of Robert Sabatino Lopez papers, 1932-1987 (inclusive). (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 702179495

Robert Sabatino Lopez was born in Genoa, Italy on October 8, 1910, the son of a distinguished Italian playwright and university professor. After receiving a Litt.D. degree from the University of Milan in 1932, he taught at several Italian universities before coming to the United States in 1939. He earned a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin in 1942 and taught at Brooklyn College and at Columbia University before taking up his first post at Yale University in 1946.

When Lopez retired 35 years later, he held the title of Sterling Professor of History. He founded and directed the graduate program in medieval studies at Yale, served as a visiting professor at Harvard University, at the College de France, and at other major universities, and had been awarded several honorary degrees. Lopez was widely regarded as one of the foremost scholars of Medieval and Renaissance history with a publication record that included twelve major books and over one hundred scholarly articles. He died in New Haven, Connecticut on July 6, 1986 and his entire library was purchased by the Arizona State University Libraries shortly thereafter.

From the guide to the Robert S. Lopez Collection, 1890-1985, 1940-1980, (Arizona State University Libraries Special Collections)

Robert Sabatino Lopez was born in Genoa, Italy, in 1910. He received a Dottore in Lettere degree from the University of Milan (1932), and a doctorate from the University of Wisconsin (1942). He taught history, literature, and medieval and economic history in Italy between 1933 and 1938, and emigrated to the United States in 1939. Lopez taught at Brooklyn College (1943-1944), Columbia University (1944-1945) and Yale University (1946-1981). Lopez was instrumental in the founding of the Yale University Graduate School Medieval Studies Program, and served as the program's first chairman from 1961-1974. A prolific writer, Lopez's works include The Birth of Europe (1961) and The Commercial Revolution of Europe (1971). He died in 1986.

Robert Sabatino Lopez was born in Genoa, Italy, in 1910. He received a Dottore in Lettere degree from the University of Milan in 1932 and a doctorate from the University of Wisconsin in 1942. He taught history and literature at the Teacher Colleges of Cagliari (1933-1934), Pavia (1934-1935), and Genoa (1935-1936), then medieval and economic history as Assistant Professor at the University of Genoa from 1936 to 1938.

After immigrating to the United States in 1939, Lopez served as a research and teaching assistant at the University of Wisconsin between 1939 and 1942, as a script editor at the Office of War Information (Voice of America) in 1942-1943, and as a foreign news editor at the Columbia Broadcasting System until 1945.

Lopez taught history at Brooklyn College from 1943 to 1944, and at Columbia University from 1944 to 1945, before he was appointed Assistant Professor at Yale University in 1946. He became Associate Professor of History in 1950, Professor in 1955, Durfee Professor in 1961, and Sterling Professor in 1970. He became a Fellow of Calhoun College in 1947, and served in various administrative capacities. Lopez was instrumental in the founding of the Yale University Graduate School Medieval Studies Program, serving as secretary of the Medieval Studies advisory committee from 1956 to 1961, and as the first chairman of the Medieval Studies Program from 1961 to 1974. He retired from the Yale faculty in June of 1981.

He received honorary degrees from Hebrew Union College of Cincinnati, the Université de Montpellier and the Universita di Roma. In June 1985 he was appointed a Fellow of the National Humanities Center in North Carolina. A member of many professional associations, he was President of the Fellows of the Medieval Academy of America and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Science.

Lopez was the author of fourteen books and more than one hundred scholarly papers, including The Birth of Europe (1961), which was translated into seven languages from the original French, and The Commercial Revolution of Europe (1971), which was translated into five languages.

He was married to Claude-Anne Kirschen Lopez, and was the father of two sons, Michael S. Lopez, and Lawrence C. R. Lopez. Robert Sabatino Lopez died July 6, 1986.

From the guide to the Robert Sabatino Lopez papers, 1932-1987, (Manuscripts and Archives)