A Guide to the Papers of Charles Julian Bishko, 1930-1989
Accession Number 12710
A Collection in
Special Collections
The University of Virginia Library



Contact Information:
Alderman Memorial Library
P.O. Box 400110
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia 22904-4110
USA
Phone: (434) 924-3025
Fax: (434) 924-4968
Email: mssbks@virginia.edu
URL: http://www.lib.virginia.edu/speccol

Processed by: Special Collections Staff

© 2003 By the Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia. All rights reserved.

Conditions of Use

Administrative Information

Access Restrictiosn

Access restrictions may apply to specific student records under the terms of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (F.E.R.P.A.).

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Papers of Charles Julian Bishko, Accession #12710, Special Collections, University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville, Va.

Acquisition Information

The collection is a gift from Dr. Charles J. Bishko.

Descriptive Summary

Repository: Special Collections, University of Virginia Library
Accession number: 12710
Papers of Charles Julian Bishko 1930-1989
Physical Characteristics: The collection contains ca. 20,000 items.
Language: English

Scope and Content Information

The collection contains ca.20,000 items (11 shelf feet) and consists of a) general correspondence with faculty, students, scholars and friends and personal correspondence with close family members; b) academic papers and class notes of Bishko's graduate study years at Harvard; c) materials on courses, correspondence and professional meetings relating to Spanish Portuguese and Latin American Studies; d) University of Virginia departmental papers including committee assignments, reports, correspondence, personalia, awards and honors, lecture notes, outlines and student gradebooks.

The organization of the collection closely follows the order and folder descriptions used by Dr. Bishko.

Biographical/Historical Information

Charles Julian Bishko is a noted specialist in Spanish and Portuguese history of the Middle Ages and an international authority on the Iberian background of Latin American history, the history of the medieval frontier, the Reconquistaand on Spanish Cluniac Monasticism. He developed this renown during a distinguished career of almost 40 years at the University of Virginia where, through superior teaching methods, meticulous research and scholarly writings, he labored to make the University a focal point for students of early Spanish and Portuguese history.

Dr. Bishko was born in New York City on October 6, 1906. He studied for his A.B. and A.M. degrees in Classics at the University of Syracuse. Later, during the period 1930-1938 at Harvard, he earned the A.M. in ecclesiastical history; served as a University Fellow and a Francis Parkman Fellow; spent a research year in Spain as a Sheldon Traveling Fellow; earned his Ph.D.(1937) with a dissertation on Spanish Monasticism in the Visigothic period and taught history at Radcliffe College.

In 1938, he left Harvard, married Lucretia Ramsey and accepted an appointment at the University of Virginia as an instructor of ancient and medieval history in the (then) Corcoran School. At the University, his career and scholastic reputation developed steadily. He was appointed Professor in 1955 and Commonwealth Professor in 1971. His competence in his field of study and in his teaching skills was recognized by his induction into the Real Academia de la Historicain Madrid in 1974 and by his receipt of the University of Virginia Alumni Distinguished Professor Award in 1968.

Professor Bishko was an active member of the University community and served on many committee and faculty assignments. Of particular note is his work as Secretary of President Shannon's Special Committee on the Admission of Women to the College of Arts and Sciences. (1967-68)

Contents List