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Guide to the Joshua A. Fishman Papers
M0695
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Title: Joshua A. Fishman papers
Dates: 1885-1992
Bulk Dates: 1926-1992
Collection number: M0695
Creator:
Fishman, Joshua A.
Collection Size:
ca. 200 linear ft.
Repository:
Stanford University. Libraries. Dept. of Special Collections and University Archives.
Abstract: The Joshua A. Fishman papers include correspondence; writings by Fishman (both published and unpublished); lecture notes and
transcripts; audio and video tapes of some of Fishman's lectures; course outlines and notes representing most of the institutions
where he taught; reviews of Fishman's books; interviews; documents relating to Fishman's work at several centers for advanced
study; tributes honoring Fishman; language cartoons; research materials used in producing five of his books; and other research
materials largely pertaining to language and ethnicity. Several series in this collection are bilingual (in English and Yiddish).
Fishman's correspondence is multilingual, including documents in English, Yiddish, Hebrew, Spanish, French, German, Russian,
and Basque. Included in the collection are card file indexes to his correspondence and his written work.
Languages:
Languages represented in the collection:
English
Collection is open for research; materials must be requested at least 36 hours in advance of intended use.
Property rights reside with the repository. Literary rights reside with the creators of the documents or their heirs. To obtain
permission to publish or reproduce, please contact the Public Services Librarian of the Dept. of Special Collections.
Joshua A. Fishman papers, M0695. Dept. of Special Collections, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, Calif.
Gift of Dr. Fishman, 1993 (Accn 1993-145; and 2011 (Accn MSS.2011-023).
Biography / Administrative History
Dr. Joshua Aaron Fishman is a renowned social scientist and a founder of the field of sociolinguistics. An acclaimed researcher,
Dr. Fishman's interests include language and ethnicity, language spread and change, Yiddish studies, bilingual education,
and traditional folk medicine. In the course of his career, Dr. Fishman has accumulated multiple honors and awards. He has
been a visiting fellow at almost all of the major Centers for Advanced Study in the world and has published more than 800
scholarly articles and books in both Yiddish and English.
Dr. Fishman was born on July 18, 1926, in Philadelphia to Aaron Samuel Fishman and Sonia (Horwitz) Fishman. He earned his
B.S. and M.S. in social studies from the University of Pennsylvania in 1948 and his Ph.D. in social psychology from Columbia
University in 1953. On December 23, 1951, he married Gella Schweid, with whom he has three children: M. Manuel, David Eliot,
and Avrom.
After his graduation from Columbia, Fishman worked for some years as an educational researcher, first for the Jewish Education
Committee of New York and then for the College Entrance Examination Board in New York City. He also was on the faculty of
the psychology department of The City College of the City University of New York (then City College) from 1955-1958. Subsequently,
he worked as an associate professor and as Director of Research at the Albert M. Greenfield Center for Human Relations at
the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, until 1960. In 1960 he was hired by Yeshiva University, where he has remained
on the faculty until the present day; he became an emeritus professor in 1988. He began spending parts of the academic year
at Stanford University in 1963, and in 1992 was designated a visiting professor of linguistics at Stanford. Dr. Fishman also
has held summer or visiting appointments at Indiana University, Hebrew University (Jerusalem), Philippine Normal College (Manila),
Harvard University, Columbia University, the University of Hawaii, the University of Illinois, the University of San Francisco,
and the University of New Mexico.
The positions and titles that Dr. Fishman holds as of 2006:
- Distinguished University Research Professor of Social Sciences, Emeritus (Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology), Yeshiva
University.
- Visiting Professor and Visiting Scholar, School of Education, Applied Linguistics and Department of Linguistics, Stanford
University.
- Adjunct Professor of Multilingual and Multicultural Education, School of Education, New York University.
- Visiting Professor of Linguistics, City University of New York, Graduate Center
Scope and Content of Collection
The Joshua A. Fishman papers contain documents dating from 1885 to the 1990s (the bulk of the collection dates from 1926-1992).
The collection include correspondence; writings by Fishman (both published and unpublished); lecture notes and transcripts;
audio and video tapes of some of Fishman?s lectures; course outlines and notes; reviews of Fishman?s books; interviews; documents
relating to Fishman?s work at several centers for advanced study; tributes honoring Fishman; recommendations and evaluations
by Fishman [not open to research use]; language cartoons; and research materials. Several series in this collection are bilingual
(in English and Yiddish). Fishman?s correspondence is multilingual, including documents in English, Yiddish, Hebrew, Spanish,
French, German, Russian, and Basque.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Fishman, Joshua A.
Fishman, Gella Schweid.
Bilingualism.
Ethnicity.
Language and languages--Political aspects.
Linguistic minorities.
Linguistics.
Sociolinguistics.
Yiddish language.
Yiddish literature.
Yiddish poetry.
Jewish studies.
Yiddish secular schools.
Organized into 17 series: Correspondence 1926-1992; 2. Published and unpublished works 1940s-1990s; 3. Lectures and talks
given ca. 1940-1992; 4. Course outlines and notes 1940-1993; 5. Book Reviews, Prefaces and Forwards 1950s-1990s; 6. Interviews
1965-1991; 7. Publicity/Travel Arrangements 1947-1992; 8. Centers for Advanced Studies 1963-83; 9. Tributes and Celebrations
Honoring JAF 1986-1991; 10. JAF Notes on Work of Colleagues; 11. Recommendations 1960s-1990s [Access to this series is restricted.];
12. Academic Institutions with Fishman Affiliation 1940s-1990s; 13. Royalty Statements to JAF 1968-1991; 14. Research Topics
and Materials; 15. Language cartoons collection; 16. Research materials in preparation for the writing of his books, 1885-1991;
17. Material received in 2011 (Accn MSS.2011-023).