Edward Wagner, 77; Korea Scholar Taught at Harvard 35 Years
Edward Wagner, 77, a leading scholar who founded the Korea Institute at Harvard and taught Korean studies at the university for 35 years, died Dec. 7 of pneumonia and complications from Alzheimer’s at a nursing home in Concord, Mass.
Born in Cleveland, Wagner’s interest in Korea developed during World War II when he was drafted in his sophomore year at Harvard and sent to Seoul. From 1946-48, he served as a civilian military advisor to the American military government in Korea. He returned to Harvard in 1949, earning his undergraduate degree and stayed on to earn his master’s and doctorate. He began teaching at Harvard in 1958 and continued until his retirement in 1993.
Wagner founded the Korea Institute and served as its director from 1981 to 1993.
His 1975 book, “The Literati Purges: Political Conflict in Early Yi Korea,” was a detailed examination of the role of the monarchy and the bureaucratic system in the early Chosun dynasty (1392-1910).
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