User:Shanghainese.ua/George A. Kennedy (sinologist)

George A. Kennedy (May 17, 1901 - August, 15, 1960) - American sinologist, specialist in linguistics and education. Chinese name 金守拙 Jin Shouzhuo.

Born to the missionaries' family in Moganshan 莫干山 (close to modern Hangzhou, China), George A. Kennedy went to the American School in Shanghai. After graduating in 1917, he entered the College of Wooster; graduation with honors in Greek and Latin followed in 1922. An attempt to follow the missionary pass (Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, Union Theological Seminary, New York) was dropped in 1925. Same year, he married Marion Galehouse and returned to China.

After a personal crisis and divorce, Kennedy studied in the Berlin University (1934-34) under de:Erich Haenisch. The rise of Nazism made him return to the US, PhD formalities were finished by 1937. The paper researched the Tang Code and addressed the role of confession in the Chinese law.

During the war years, George A. Kennedy developed series of language teaching materials for military use. In 1948 he was a visiting professor in Peking University.