Michael, Franz H.

Franz H. Michael was a professor of Far Eastern political science and Chinese history, and assistant director of the Far Eastern and Russian Institute at the University of Washington.

Michael was born and educated in Germany and attended the Universities of Hamburg, Berlin, and Freiburg. At Berlin he received his Sinological degree, and at Freiburg his doctor's degree in political science and law. In 1933, he became an attaché in the German foreign service but left Germany in the same year after Hitler's seizure of power. From 1934 to 1938, Michael taught at the National Chekiang University in Hangchow, China, and went on the inland march with this university after the start of the Japanese attack in 1937. In 1939, he came to the United States and became a research associate at the Johns Hopkins University. In 1942, Michael joined the staff of the University of Washington, where he was, during the war, in charge of an army specialized training program. In 1947, he undertook a journey to China for the university with the object of visiting Chinese universities, buying books for the Far Eastern Library at the university, and exploring the Chinese Mongol and Tibetan frontier areas.

Michael is the author of several books and numerous professional articles.

From the guide to the Franz H. Michael papers, 1948-1984, 1948-1964, (University of Washington Libraries Special Collections)

Biographical/Historical Note

German-American historian and political scientist.

From the guide to the Franz H. Michael interview, 1984, (Hoover Institution Archives)