Cohen, Morris Raphael, 1880-1947

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Philosopher. Graduated from the College of the City of New York, 1900. Ph. D., Harvard, 1906. Instructor in mathematics at the City College of New York, then taught in its Department of Philosophy, 1912-1938. Professor of philosophy, University of Chicago, 1938-1942.

From the description of Papers, 1898-1981. (University of Chicago Library). WorldCat record id: 52248106

Correspondence to Lewis Mumford from Morris R. Cohen and his wife, Mary Cohen.

From the description of Letters,1936-1940, to Lewis Mumford. (University of Pennsylvania Library). WorldCat record id: 155867332

Philosopher, professor.

Cohen was an alumnus of City College, Class of 1900, and professor at City College.

From the description of Memorabilia, 1926-1980. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 155502335

Morris Raphael Cohen was born in Minsk, Russia, in 1880. The son of Abraham Mordecai and Bessie Farfel Cohen, Morris came to the United States at the age of twelve. His family eventually settled in New York City. In 1895 Morris took the entrance examination for the City College of New York and scored the highest grade. While a student at CCNY Cohen met Thomas Davidson who strongly influenced Cohen's burgeoning liberalism. Davidson founded the progressive Breadwinners' College, where Cohen gained his initial teacher's training.

Morris married Mary Ryshpan in 1906. They had three children, Felix S., Leonora D., and Victor W.

Following Davidson's death in 1900, Cohen helped form the Thomas Davidson Society. Under the auspices of New York's Educational Alliance, the Society opened a night school. Among the supporters were William Harris, Charles Bakewell, Josiah Royce, and Percival Chubb. The public education system assumed control of the school in 1917.

Morris taught briefly in the New York public schools before becoming a mathematics instructor at CCNY. While teaching, Cohen took graduate courses at Columbia University. He left Columbia and CCNY to pursue his Ph.D. in philosophy at Harvard, which he received in 1906. He returned to New York and continued as mathematics instructor, despite his degree in philosophy, until 1912. After six years he transferred to the Philosophy Department. He stayed on at CCNY until 1938, enjoying stays as a visiting professor at Columbia, Yale, Yale Law School, Harvard, Stanford and elsewhere. To accommodate his wish to spend more time writing, Cohen took a position at the University of Chicago, where he carried a light, but influential, teaching load in the Philosophy Department, 1938-1941. Before his death in January, 1947, Cohen published numerous articles and books including Reason and Nature, 1931; Law and the Social Order, 1933; Preface to Logic, 1944; and Faith of a Liberal, 1945. Missing from the papers are drafts of his autobiography, A Dreamer's Journey.

Leonora Cohen Rosenfield, after collecting her father's extensive collection of papers, published in 1948 Morris' biography, Portrait of a Philosopher. Her research materials for the biography and correspondence with many of Morris' colleagues are also represented in the papers.

From the guide to the Cohen, Morris Raphael. Papers, 1898-1981, (Special Collections Research Center University of Chicago Library 1100 East 57th Street Chicago, Illinois 60637 U.S.A.)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn McKeon, Richard (Richard Peter), 1900-1985. Papers, 1918-1985 (inclusive). University of Chicago Library
creatorOf Holmes, Oliver Wendell, 1841-1935. Papers, 1637-1967. Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138
creatorOf Memorabilia, 1926-1980. New York State Historical Documents Inventory
creatorOf Bentley, Arthur Fisher, 1870-1957. Papers, 1891-1968. Indiana University
referencedIn Frank Thilly papers, 1889-1935. Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library.
creatorOf Glueck, Sheldon, 1896-1980. Papers, 1916-1972. Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138
referencedIn The Nation, records, 1879-1974 (inclusive), 1920-1955 (bulk). Houghton Library
creatorOf Cohen, Morris Raphael, 1880-1947. Morris Raphael Cohen papers, 1898-1981. University of Chicago Library
referencedIn Strong, Chares A. (Charles Augustus), 1862-1940. Charles A. Strong Papers, 1877-1961 (bulk 1906-1939). Rockefeller Archive Center
creatorOf Roscoe Pound Papers Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138
creatorOf Cohen, Morris Raphael. Papers, 1898-1981 Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library,
referencedIn Roscoe Pound Papers Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138
referencedIn William Ernest Hocking papers Houghton Library
referencedIn Hand, Learned, 1872-1961. Papers of Learned Hand, 1840-1961 (inclusive), 1892-1961 (bulk). Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138
referencedIn Harold J. Laski collection, 1918-1946 Syracuse University. Library. Special Collections Research Center
referencedIn Thilly, Frank, 1865-1934. Frank Thilly papers, 1889-1935. Cornell University Library
referencedIn Milton Steinberg (1903-1950) Papers, undated, 1883-2003, 1923-1950 American Jewish Historical Society
referencedIn Jerome New Frank papers, 1918-1972 (bulk 1929-1957) Yale University. Department of Manuscripts and Archives
referencedIn Glueck, Sheldon, 1896-1980. Papers of Sheldon Glueck, 1916-1972 (inclusive). Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138
referencedIn Jerome New Frank papers, 1918-1972 (bulk 1929-1957) Yale University. Department of Manuscripts and Archives
referencedIn William Ernest Hocking papers Houghton Library
referencedIn Babette Deutsch papers, ca. 1880s-1982, 1920s-1960s New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
creatorOf Deutsch, Babette, 1895-1982. Babette Deutsch papers, ca. 1880s-1982, bulk (1920s-1960s). New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn Papers, 1864-1869. New York State Historical Documents Inventory
referencedIn Abraham Aaron Roback papers, 1909-1965. Houghton Library
referencedIn Learned Hand papers Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138
referencedIn Papers of Ethel Sturges Dummer, 1689-1962 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Paul Goodman papers, 1925-1983. Houghton Library
referencedIn Felix S. Cohen papers, 1916-1992 Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
referencedIn Paul Goodman papers, 1925-1983. Houghton Library
creatorOf Cohen, Morris Raphael, 1880-1947. Letter to Florence Lipkin. New York, NY. 1937 Dec. 27. University of Iowa Libraries
creatorOf Roscoe Pound Papers Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138
referencedIn Sheldon Glueck papers Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138
referencedIn Baron, Salo W. Papers, 1900-1980 Stanford University. Department of Special Collections and University Archives
referencedIn McKeon, Richard Peter. Papers, 1918-1985 Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library,
creatorOf Cohen, Morris Raphael, 1880-1947. Correspondence to Van Wyck Brooks, 1920-1922. University of Pennsylvania Library
creatorOf Cohen, Morris Raphael, 1880-1947. Letters,1936-1940, to Lewis Mumford. University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Van Pelt Library
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf Holmes, Oliver Wendell, 1841-1935. Oliver Wendell Homes, Jr. Harvard Law School Library Digital Suite. Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138
Relation Name
associatedWith Adler, Felix, 1851-1933. person
associatedWith Baron, Salo W. (Salo Wittmayer), 1895-1989. person
associatedWith Bentley, Arthur Fisher, 1870-1957. person
associatedWith Bowker, Richard Rogers, 1864-1933. person
associatedWith Brandeis, Louis Dembitz, 1856-1941. person
associatedWith Cardozo, Benjamin N. (Benjamin Nathan), 1870-1938. person
associatedWith City University of New York. City College. corporateBody
associatedWith Cohen, Felix S., 1907-1953. person
associatedWith Cohen, Mary. person
associatedWith Conference on Jewish Relations (U.S.) corporateBody
associatedWith Davidson, Thomas, 1840-1900. person
associatedWith Deutsch, Babette, 1895-1982. person
associatedWith Dewey, John, 1859-1952. person
associatedWith Douglas, William O. (William Orville), 1898-1980. person
associatedWith Einstein, Albert, 1879-1955. person
associatedWith ETHEL STURGES DUMMER, 1866-1954 person
associatedWith Frankfurter, Felix, 1882-1965. person
associatedWith Frank, Jerome, 1889-1957. person
associatedWith Frank, Thilly 1865-1934. person
associatedWith Glueck, Sheldon, 1896-1980. person
correspondedWith Goodman, Paul, 1911-1972 person
associatedWith Gottschalk, Louis Reichenthal, 1899-1975. person
associatedWith Hand, Learned, 1872-1961. person
associatedWith Harris, William Torrey, 1835-1909. person
correspondedWith Hocking, William Ernest, 1873-1966 person
associatedWith Holmes, Oliver Wendell, 1809-1894. person
associatedWith Holmes, Oliver Wendell, 1841-1935. person
associatedWith Husserl, Edmund, 1859-1938. person
associatedWith Hutchins, Robert Maynard, 1899-1977. person
associatedWith James, William, 1842-1910. person
associatedWith Knight, Frank H. (Frank Hyneman), 1885-1972. person
associatedWith Laski, Harold Joseph, 1893-1950. person
associatedWith Lipkin, Florence, person
associatedWith Lippmann, Walter, 1889-1974. person
associatedWith Lovejoy, Arthur O. (Arthur Oncken), 1873-1962. person
associatedWith McKeon, Richard (Richard Peter), 1900-1985. person
associatedWith Mencken, H. L. (Henry Louis), 1880-1956. person
associatedWith Münsterberg, Hugo, 1863-1916. person
correspondedWith Nation (New York, N.Y. : 1865). corporateBody
associatedWith Niebuhr, Reinhold, 1892-1971. person
associatedWith Overstreet, H. A. (Harry Allen), 1875-1970. person
associatedWith Palmer, George Herbert, 1842-1933. person
associatedWith Parsons, Talcott, 1902-1979. person
associatedWith Perry, Ralph Barton, 1876-1957. person
associatedWith Pound, Roscoe, 1870-1964. person
associatedWith Roback, A. A. (Abraham Aaron), 1890-1965 person
associatedWith Rosenfield, Leonora Cohen, 1909-1982. person
associatedWith Royce, Josiah, 1855-1916. person
associatedWith Russell, Bertrand, 1872-1970. person
associatedWith Santayana, George, 1863-1952. person
associatedWith Steinberg, Milton,1903-1950 person
associatedWith Strong, Chares A. (Charles Augustus), 1862-1940. person
associatedWith Swenson, David F. (David Ferdinand), 1876-1940. person
associatedWith Thilly, Frank, 1865-1934. person
associatedWith Tufts, James Hayden, 1862-1942. person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Subject
Ethics
Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)
Jews
Law
Logic
Philosophers
Socialism
Student movements
Unemployment
World War, 1939-1945
Zionism
Occupation
College teachers
Philosophers
Activity

Person

Birth 1880-07-25

Death 1947-01-28

Americans

English

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SNAC ID: 35447914