In Memoriam: Prof. Robert E. Entenmann (1949–2024) – CCSG Director Emeritus
Prof. Eric R. Becklin of St. Olaf College shares this announcement regarding the passing of Prof. Robert Entenmann, CCSG director emeritus (2015–2016) and a longtime supporter and member of the group:
"I am writing to share that Robert Entenmann (Professor Emeritus of History and Asian Studies) died [January 7, 2024]. Bob graduated from the University of Washington in 1971 with a B.A. in Far Eastern Studies. He earned an M.A. in East Asian Studies at Stanford in 1973 and a Ph.D. in History and East Asian Languages at Harvard in 1982. He first visited China in 1972, shortly after relations between the United States and China began to open. In 1975-76, he studied at the Inter-University Center for Chinese Language Studies in Taiwan. In 1980, he married Sarah Johnson, a graduate of Carleton College. Two years later, they moved to Northfield and Bob began his career at St. Olaf College. Bob taught history and interdisciplinary courses on China, Japan, and Southeast Asia, including Chinese-language Foreign Languages Across the Curriculum components in two Chinese history courses. His research examined the social history of Chinese Catholics in eighteenth-century Sichuan. Bob served terms as department chair of both History and Asian Studies. In 1995, he was field supervisor of St. Olaf's Term in Asia and in May, 1997, he was a visiting scholar at Sichuan University on a grant from the American Philosophical Society. He served on the board of directors of the Association for Asian Studies and was Benedict Distinguished Visiting Professor at Carleton College in 2002-2003. In 2007 he gave the fall Mellby Lecture on "The Life and Times of Andreas Ly (李安德 1693-1774) Chinese Catholic Priest." Bob and Sarah have two children. Leah graduated from Carleton College in 2006 and David is a 2011 graduate of St. Olaf. A memorial service will be held on March 16."
An obituary by Prof. Emeritus R. Kent Guy of the University of Washington was published in the January 2024 announcements of the Association for Asian Studies.
An obituary provided by Prof. Entenmann's family, including details about the March 16 celebration of his life, may be found here.
