Dr. David Murray

Superintendent of Education in the Empire of Japan, 1873-1879

By Benjamin Duke

Rutgers University Press

This is the first biography in English of an uncommon American, Dr. David Murray, a professor of mathematics at Rutgers College, who was appointed by the Japanese government as Superintendent of Education in the Empire of Japan in 1873. The founding of the Gakusei—the first public school system launched in Japan—marks the beginning of modern education in Japan, accommodating all children of elementary school age. Murray’s unwavering commitment to its success renders him an educational pioneer in Japan in the modern world.

Benjamin Duke has compiled this comprehensive biography of David Murray to showcase Murray’s work, both in assisting around 100 samurai students in their studies at Rutgers, and in his unprecedented role in early Japanese-American relations. This fascinating story uncovers a little-known link between Rutgers University and Japan, and it is the only book to conclude that Rutgers made a greater contribution to the development of modern education in the early Meiji Era than any other non-Japanese college or university in the world.

Reviews

An essential chapter in the story of Japan's early engagement with America, and America's with Japan. Scholars of this extraordinary moment owe Benjamin Duke--himself a veteran educator bridging both cultures--a debt of gratitude for his deep research into a pivotal but overlooked figure. Janice Nimura, author of Daughters of the Samurai:Journey from East to West and Back

An amazing story, beautifully told by Benjamin Duke's skilled hand. Duke's tenacity and deep digging are admirable, a work of true scholarship. Thomas R. H. Havens, Professor of Japanese History, Northeastern University

ICU Emeritus Professor and Former JICUF Trustee Benjamin Duke Writes Book about ‘Japanese Invasion’ of Rutgers College 150 Years Ago Japan ICU Foundation

A seminal work of meticulous and detailed scholarship, Dr. David Murray: Superintendent of Education in the Empire of Japan, 1873-1879 is an inherently fascinating story from beginning to end. Enhanced for academia with the inclusion of two pages of Notes and a six page Index, Dr. David Murray: Superintendent of Education in the Empire of Japan, 1873-1879 is a unique and especially recommended. Midwest Book Review

Duke's biography is a detailed examination of Murray before and especially during his years as the superintendent of education at this crucial time in Japanese history. There is probably no scholar more knowledgeable about education policies during the Meiji era. Journal of Asian Studies

The scope and extent of the book go far beyond a mere biography of Murray....This book is to be recommended in that it provides a useful introduction to the Japan-related work of David Murray, both in the United States in the 1860s and Japan when he finally got there in the following decade. This is a lacuna in scholarship which undoubtedly needed filling. It also provides a very full account of Japan-U.S. relations in the bakumatsu and early Meiji period. It contains a wealth of new information and a decent number of illustrations. The book is quite readable, with well-structured paragraphs....A welcome addition to scholarly works on the history of the period. Journal of Japanese Studies

Author

BENJAMIN DUKE is professor emeritus of International Christian University in Tokyo, Japan, where he was chairman of the graduate faculty of education. He is the author of several books, including The History of Modern Japanese Education (Rutgers University Press).

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