Prof. Emeritus John Wang Passes

Emeritus Professor John C.Y. Wang (Edward Clark Crossett Professor of Humanistic Studies), 83, of the Department of East Asian Languages & Cultures, Stanford University passed away peacefully at 7:50am on August 3, 2018 in a healthcare center in Palo Alto, after he had battled ALS, a motor neuron disease commonly known as Lou Gehrig disease, for more than two years.

Professor John Wang did his undergraduate work at the National Taiwan University (1957), MA at the University of Minnesota (1962) and Ph.D. in classical Chinese fiction from Cornell University in 1968. He joined the Stanford faculty in 1969 and chaired the department from 1978 to 1990. He, was an eminent scholar in the study of classical Chinese literature, had also taught, with honorary titles and various short-term appointments, Chinese or literature at Yale, University of Michigan, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and other leading academic institutes at different times of his distinguished career.

Besides his teaching Professor Wang served as member on various advisory and editorial boards of academic journals. Throughout the years his outside professional activities include serving as subject specialist for Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications, External Examiner of Chinese Language, Literature/History, Hong Kong University and many other university or official sponsored programs.

Professor Wang was an authority on Chin Sheng-t’an (a 17th-century Chinese literary critic). He devoted his life to the study of narrative techniques of Chinese fiction and history. His writings on these subject received great acclaim. Later in life, his interest extended to traditional Chinese drama especially Kun Qu. He offered his insight to this subject through numerous presentations.

He is survived by his wife Connie, son Michael and daughter Amy. Memorial services will be held on Tuesday, August 21, 2018, at 11:00 am at the Alta Mesa Memorial Park Chapel, 695 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto, CA.