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Spiro, Herbert J. (38461724): Difference between revisions
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|death_date=6 April 2010 | |death_date=6 April 2010 | ||
|birth_place=Hamburg, Germany | |birth_place=Hamburg, Germany | ||
|death_place=San Antonio | |death_place=San Antonio in | ||
|education=Harvard University | |education=Harvard University | ||
|occupation=Political scientist | |occupation=Political scientist | ||
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== Biography == | == Biography == | ||
Born in Hamburg, Germany, where he attended the Wilhelm-Gymnasium, he and his family emigrated to the United States in 1938, fleeing Nazi persecution. In March 1944, | Born in Hamburg, Germany, where he attended the Wilhelm-Gymnasium, he and his family emigrated to the United States in 1938, fleeing Nazi persecution. Spiro was born in Hamburg, Germany to Jewish parents. | ||
In March 1944, Spiro attended ASTP at University of Illinois. He received his master's degree in 1950 and his Ph.D. In 1961, Spiro moved from Harvard to Amherst College, where he was Associate Professor of Political Science until 1965. | |||
Afterwards he joined the University of Pennsylvania as Professor of Political Science, where he remained until 1970. Herbert attended San Antonio Junior College (1 year). He later returned to academia as a professor at the Free University of Berlin. | |||
There, Spiro attended Brackenridge High School, and went on to San Antonio Junior College. After returning to the U.S., Spiro entered Harvard University. He served in the US Foreign Service as Ambassador to Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea, and taught at the Free University of Berlin. | |||
Herbert John Spiro (September 7, 1924 – April 6, 2010) was an American political scientist and diplomat. He and his family emigrated to the United States in 1938, fleeing Nazi persecution. Formally an enemy alien, Spiro was not subject to the draft, but after naturalizing in 1944 he volunteered for a military intelligence position. | |||
He spent 1945 and 1946 as an administrative assistant to the United States Department of War, stationed in Vienna. He spent the following year in his native Germany as a Fulbright Fellow, and then returned to Harvard in 1954, where he continued as an instructor until 1957. He received a Guggenheim Fellowship in political science in 1959, and lived in Rhodesia and the Central African Republic for the next year. | |||
He served with the United States Army in World War II. During the Ford administration, he served as United States Ambassador to Cameroon and to Equatorial Guinea, though the latter country declared him persona non grata. His family name is a corruption of Speyer, a town in the Rhineland which once had a significant Jewish community, but he reminisced that in the U.S. | |||
His father worked for a distribution firm. He attended the Wilhelm-Gymnasium. He served with the 11th Armored Division and received the Bronze Star Medal with oak leaf cluster. | |||
There, he wrote his senior honors thesis on Marxist critiques of democracy, with William Yandell Elliott as his advisor. He then joined the Department of State as a member of the Policy Planning Staff. After returning to Texas, he ran for the U.S. | |||
He was survived by his sons Peter Spiro and Alexander Spiro, his ex-wife Elizabeth Spiro Clark, and four grandchildren. | |||
He died in San Antonio in 2010, and was buried at the Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery. | |||
== Research notes == | == Research notes == | ||
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<div class="soldier-timeline-body"> | <div class="soldier-timeline-body"> | ||
* | * Born 7 September 1924 in Germany. | ||
* 5 January 1944 — Became naturalized U. | * 5 January 1944 — Became naturalized U. | ||
* | * 4 September 1944 — Promoted to S/Sgt. | ||
* June 1943 — Basic training with 62nd Infantry Battalion. | |||
* Assigned to IPW team 155 attached to the First Army. | * Assigned to IPW team 155 attached to the First Army. | ||
* Drafted into Army at ___as Pvt (ASN: 38461724). | |||
</div> | </div> | ||
</div><div style="clear: both;"></div> | </div><div style="clear: both;"></div> | ||
Latest revision as of 03:44, 15 September 2026
| Herbert John Spiro | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 7 September 1924 Hamburg, Germany |
| Died | 6 April 2010 San Antonio, Indiana |
| Nativity | Germany |
| Religion | Jewish |
| Known for | Political scientist |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Army |
| ASN | 38461724 |
| Rank | Master Sergeant |
| Rank at Ritchie | Private |
| Camp Ritchie | Class 19 (16 May – 13 July 1944) |
| Section | 5B |
| Team | IPW 155 |
{{Needs source}}, or explain disagreements on talk. Baseline import notes: About the data.
Herbert John Spiro (1924–2010) was a Ritchie Boy (from Germany; Jewish) who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 19 and served with IPW Team 155.
Biography[edit | edit source]
Born in Hamburg, Germany, where he attended the Wilhelm-Gymnasium, he and his family emigrated to the United States in 1938, fleeing Nazi persecution. Spiro was born in Hamburg, Germany to Jewish parents.
In March 1944, Spiro attended ASTP at University of Illinois. He received his master's degree in 1950 and his Ph.D. In 1961, Spiro moved from Harvard to Amherst College, where he was Associate Professor of Political Science until 1965.
Afterwards he joined the University of Pennsylvania as Professor of Political Science, where he remained until 1970. Herbert attended San Antonio Junior College (1 year). He later returned to academia as a professor at the Free University of Berlin.
There, Spiro attended Brackenridge High School, and went on to San Antonio Junior College. After returning to the U.S., Spiro entered Harvard University. He served in the US Foreign Service as Ambassador to Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea, and taught at the Free University of Berlin.
Herbert John Spiro (September 7, 1924 – April 6, 2010) was an American political scientist and diplomat. He and his family emigrated to the United States in 1938, fleeing Nazi persecution. Formally an enemy alien, Spiro was not subject to the draft, but after naturalizing in 1944 he volunteered for a military intelligence position.
He spent 1945 and 1946 as an administrative assistant to the United States Department of War, stationed in Vienna. He spent the following year in his native Germany as a Fulbright Fellow, and then returned to Harvard in 1954, where he continued as an instructor until 1957. He received a Guggenheim Fellowship in political science in 1959, and lived in Rhodesia and the Central African Republic for the next year.
He served with the United States Army in World War II. During the Ford administration, he served as United States Ambassador to Cameroon and to Equatorial Guinea, though the latter country declared him persona non grata. His family name is a corruption of Speyer, a town in the Rhineland which once had a significant Jewish community, but he reminisced that in the U.S.
His father worked for a distribution firm. He attended the Wilhelm-Gymnasium. He served with the 11th Armored Division and received the Bronze Star Medal with oak leaf cluster.
There, he wrote his senior honors thesis on Marxist critiques of democracy, with William Yandell Elliott as his advisor. He then joined the Department of State as a member of the Policy Planning Staff. After returning to Texas, he ran for the U.S.
He was survived by his sons Peter Spiro and Alexander Spiro, his ex-wife Elizabeth Spiro Clark, and four grandchildren.
He died in San Antonio in 2010, and was buried at the Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery.
Research notes[edit | edit source]
- BS
Gallery[edit | edit source]
Technical record[edit | edit source]
| Field | Imported value |
|---|---|
| Approx Age at Death | 86 |
| Class_ASN | 38461724 |
| Class_Name | SPIRO, Herbert J. |
| match_method | asn_exact_name_exact |
| row_source | both |
Timeline[edit | edit source]
- Born 7 September 1924 in Germany.
- 5 January 1944 — Became naturalized U.
- 4 September 1944 — Promoted to S/Sgt.
- June 1943 — Basic training with 62nd Infantry Battalion.
- Assigned to IPW team 155 attached to the First Army.
- Drafted into Army at ___as Pvt (ASN: 38461724).
Sources[edit | edit source]
- Camp Ritchie Museum, Inc. (The Ritchie History Museum), Classes 1–31 roster data
- Dan Gross research spreadsheets, including original Excel timeline/roster work, combined with other research and records
- NARA World War II Army enlistment records (where a NARA ASN is present)
- 1940 U.S. Census (where a census match is present)
- Wikipedia: Herbert Spiro
- Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2022-05-19 (1 post)
- Facebook-linked source: bit.ly
- Dan Gross, Timeline of Herbert J. Spiro for Camp Ritchie (private research document; 1 source documents reviewed)
- Dan Gross, Timeline of Spiro, Herbert J. for Camp Ritchie (private research files; selected non-private narrative findings; 1 source files: HERBERT J. SPIRO.doc)