author
Ephraim Emerton
1851–1935
A pioneering Harvard medievalist, he helped generations of readers make sense of the Middle Ages through clear, approachable history. His books on church and European history were widely used and kept influencing students long after his retirement.
1 Audiobook
Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam
by Ephraim Emerton
About the author
Born in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1851, Ephraim Emerton studied at Harvard College and then continued his training in Germany, including doctoral work at the University of Leipzig. He returned to Harvard, where he spent decades teaching history and became the first Winn Professor of Ecclesiastical History.
Emerton was known as an educator, historian, translator, and author with a special focus on medieval Europe and church history. He wrote books such as Introduction to the Study of the Middle Ages and Medieval Europe, 814–1300, aiming to explain complicated periods of history in a way students could follow.
He retired from Harvard in 1918 but continued writing for years afterward. When he died in 1935, he was remembered not only for his scholarship but also for the lasting place his books held in the study of European and medieval history.