Philip C. F. Bankwitz was born 24 February 1924, the son of Charles Edward Bankwitz and Elizabeth Farwell Bankwitz . He was raised in Turners Falls, Massachusetts . He received his education at Harvard University (B.A., 1947; M.A., 1948; Ph.D., 1952). In 1954, he joined the History Department at Trinity College where he spent his career until his retirement in 1969. A scholar of modern France, Dr. Bankwitz' fluency in French made possible his assignment to the French 2nd Armored Division, one of only thirty Americans to serve with this elite unit of the Free French Forces during World War II. For his service to France, he was awarded the French Croix de Guerre.
A long-time resident of Farmington, CT, Dr. Bankwitz died on 21 December 2003.
Published Works: Maxime Weygand and Civil-Military Relations in Modern France , Harvard University Press , 1967 . Alsatian Autonomist Leaders , Regents Press of Kansas , 1978 .
From the guide to the Philip Bankwitz Research Collection., undated, 1928-1994, 2004., (Archives & Special Collections at the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center .)
