Liska, George - Oral History Interview

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Date
2010-12-13
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Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), Office of Development and Alumni Relations
Abstract
George Liska came to SAIS after leaving the University of Chicago and Wesleyan University, as a professor. He came to Johns Hopkins at the invitation and with the persuasion of Robert W. Tucker (then, full professor at Hopkins) and came to teach at SAIS. In his teaching, he remembers most enjoying the aspect of writing and having conversations with graduate students to whom he assigned a reading list. When he came to SAIS, it was financed by Paul Nitze and Christian Herter who, at the time, both thought that the U.S. needed a qualified school of international relations. In the beginning, SAIS was located on Florida Avenue. He came to SAIS 33 years before he retired. He wrote at least three books. He considers his books to be the most important accomplishment of his career. He considered his books to be an extension of his experiences (many of which he enjoyed in his life). He is also reflected on his books….he had very few readers, they were published in small numbers, but he had a number of people who admired him for his original view of the process (he always considered presenting a his own view of American Policy – as opposed to criticizing others). He remembers several professors: Paul Lineberger, David Caleo, Doran, Zartman Robert Osgood, Roger Hansen (who was a graduate student of his), Michael Mandelbaum, Eliot Cohen, Karl Jackson and Grace Goodell.
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