Hancock Professor of Hebrew

The Hancock Chair of Hebrew and Other Oriental Languages is an endowed chair at Harvard University in the US. The execution of the will of Thomas Hancock (merchant), uncle to John Hancock, in 1764 at a salary of £1000 established the chair.[1] Unlike prior endowed chairs, the money for the endowed professorship came from a merchant born in the American colonies.[2] It is the third oldest endowed chair in the United States and the first professorship dedicated to study of Semitic languages like Hebrew and Arabic. The Hancock Chair is the third oldest endowed professorship at Harvard University.[3]

  1. ^ Gilman, Arthur (June 1863). "The Hancock House and Its Founder". The Atlantic. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  2. ^ "Professorships Perpetuate Memory of Founders Two Hundred Years Ago". The Harvard Crimson. 1 Nov 1926. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  3. ^ Robert P. (17 March 1953). "Pfeiffer Named To Hancock Chair". The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved 11 December 2023.