Keith Hitchins

Keith Hitchins
Born(1931-04-02)April 2, 1931
Schenectady, New York, United States
DiedNovember 1, 2020(2020-11-01) (aged 89)
Urbana, Illinois, United States
AwardsNational Order of Merit (Romania)
Academic background
Alma materUnion College
Harvard University
Thesis (1964)
Doctoral advisorRobert Lee Wolff
Academic work
DisciplineHistory, mostly Romanian history
InstitutionsWake Forest University
Rice University
University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign
Websitehistory.illinois.edu/directory/profile/khitchin

Keith Arnold Hitchins (April 2, 1931 – November 1, 2020) was an American historian and a professor of Eastern European history at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, specializing in Romania and its history.[1]

He was born in Schenectady, New York.[2][3] After graduating from Union College, he went to Harvard University, earning a Ph.D. in history in 1964 under the direction of Robert Lee Wolff. After teaching for seven years at Wake Forest University and then for a short period at Rice University, he joined the faculty at the University of Illinois, where he spent the rest of his academic career.[1]

Hitchins wrote or edited more than 20 books, most related to Romania.[1] An honorary member of the Romanian Academy since 1991,[2][3] he was awarded the National Order of Merit by Romanian President Klaus Iohannis.[4]

Hitchins died on November 1, 2020, at age 89, in the Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana, Illinois.[1] After his death, Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Bogdan Aurescu wrote on Twitter:[3]

We pay homage to professor Keith Hitchins, an American voice of immeasurable value to the academic world. Having an authentic interest and expertise in the history of Romania, he was an honorary member of the Romanian Academy. The death of professor Hitchins is a loss to everyone who knew him and knew his work.

— Bogdan Aurescu, 2020.[3]
  1. ^ a b c d "Keith Arnold Hitchins". The News-Gazette. 15 November 2020.
  2. ^ a b "A murit istoricul american Keith Hitchins, unul dintre cei mai buni specialiști străini în istoria României". Historia (in Romanian). 2 November 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d Iancu, Mariana (3 November 2020). "A murit profesorul american Keith Hitchins, care a venit în România din 1961. A fost urmărit de Securitate până la Revoluție". Adevărul (in Romanian).
  4. ^ Stoica, Ionel (1 May 2017). "Profesorul american Keith Hitchins, decorat de Klaus Iohannis cu Ordinul Național "Pentru Merit". Distincția a fost înmânată de ambasadorul George Maior". Adevărul (in Romanian).