Alfred Tischendorf (1928-1962)

The death of Dr. Alfred Tischendorf, assistant professor of Latin American History in Duke University, was a significant loss to our profession. He died from an attack of virulent hepatitis on November 26, 1962, in the City of Buenos Aires, where he was engaged in research, supported by two of our national foundations, on Argentine politics during the twentieth century. Hardly more than thirty-four years old, he had already achieved an outstanding reputation as teacher and scholar, mainly at Duke University, where he arrived as instructor in history in September of 1955. He had received his A.B. from Kent College in 1950, his M.A. and his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago, the latter degree in 1957. In addition to several articles on British investments in various foreign countries—particularly Africa, Mexico, and the United States—he had published a substantial monograph on Great Britain and Mexico in the Era of Porfirio Díaz (Duke University Press, 1961), and had sent to the Duke Press a thoroughly annotated edition of the diary of Richard C. Anderson, the first minister sent by the United States to the Republic of Colombia. During several months preceding his untimely death he had been planning a large volume on the politics of the Latin American countries since 1900. In short, he had exhibited uncommon brilliance both as student and as teacher and had earned a solid reputation as a thorough and sound historian.