Ying-shih Yu shares honor with John Hope Franklin
By: Jake Uitti
Ying-shih Yu, Princeton University’s Gordon Wu ’58 Professor Emeritus of Chinese Studies, has been named the co-winner of the third John W. Kluge Prize for lifetime achievement in the study of humanity.
Professor Yu will share the award with John Hope Franklin, professor emeritus of history at Duke University. Each will receive half of the $1 million prize.
The prize, given by the Library of Congress, recognizes accomplishment in a wide range of disciplines not covered by the Nobel prizes, including history, philosophy, politics, anthropology, sociology, religion, criticism in the arts and humanities, and linguistics.
Professor Yu, a sympathizer for the democracy movement in mainland China and a supporter of young refugees who left after the suppression of protesters in Tiananmen Square, was honored for his role in bringing previously neglected, major aspects of Chinese history into the mainstream of the public consciousness.
Professor Yu said the recognition was "an enormous honor," adding that the Library of Congress contacted him about a week ago to notify him of the award.
"I have been working on Chinese history from Confucius’ time until the 18th century, a long period," he said in a phone interview Thursday.
He said his main focus is Chinese thought and Chinese culture change and how those play a role in the modern world vis-a-vis the West.
Professor Yu, one of the world’s authorities on the Tang Dynasty from 618 to 907 said he hadn’t had time to think about what he would do with the prize money he is to receive, though he said, "Nothing will change. I will continue to work."
Professor Yu and Professor Franklin will be honored for their work at a Dec. 5 ceremony at the Library of Congress and will return to the library next year to present a scholarly discussion of their work.
Professor Yu is the author of 30 books that span more than 2,000 years of history.
"Dr. Yu’s scholarship has been remarkably deep and widespread," said Librarian of Congress James Billington, a member of Princeton’s Class of 1950. "His impact on the study of Chinese history, thought and culture has reached across many disciplines, time periods and issues, examining in a profound way major questions and deeper truths about human nature."
Professor Yu joined the Princeton faculty in 1987 and retired in 2001. In his early 40s, Professor Yu was elected a lifetime member in Academia Sinica, the most distinguished academic institution in Taiwan.
Professor Franklin is a leading scholar in the establishment of black history as a key area in the professional study of American history in the second half of the 20th century, Mr. Billington said.
"The transformation he has helped bring about in how we think about American history and society will stand as his lasting intellectual legacy," he said.
First awarded in 2003, the Kluge Prize is international. The recipient may be of any nationality, writing in any language. The main criterion for a recipient is deep and sustained intellectual accomplishment in the study of humanity that extends beyond narrow academic disciplines.
For the 2006 prize, more than 2,000 individuals were nominated worldwide, including scholars, presidents of universities and colleges, and ambassadors.

