Joseph Ratner (1901-1979)
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Joseph Ratner (1901-1979)
I work at the Center for Dewey Studies and Joseph Ratner was a contemporary, friend and colleague of John Dewey. We are looking for a picture of him, but have not found one yet. Can anyone help?
Born in London, Ratner was raised in Winnipeg, Canada, came to the U.S. in 1919, and in 1924 became a U.S. citizen. He received his BAA. from City College of New York, his MAA. and Ph.D. 1923 and 1930 from Columbia Univ. under JD. In 1924 he was awarded a fellowship from Trinity College, Cambridge Univ., where he studied with G. E. Moore. Ratner taught at Columbia (1940), New York Univ., New School for Social Research, and 1940-45 at City College. He was assistant editor for the Encyclopaedia of the Social Sciences. Ratner became JD's trusted colleague and family friend. He collaborated with JD on works and edited several collections of JD's writings: The Philosophy of John Dewey (1928), Characters and Events (1929), Intelligence in the Modern World: John Dewey's Philosophy (1939), and Education Today (1940). Ratner's works also include his edited Philosophy of Spinoza (1927) and Spinoza on God. Ratner also worked on John Keats; in JD's library is a copy of The Complete Works of John Keats, ed. H. Buxton Forman; vol. 1 (1900, 1924), inscribed to JD Xmas 1930-New Year 1931 "from his pupil Joseph Ratner." In 1945 Ratner began preparing a biography of JD that he never finished. Ratner was married to an actress in the Yiddish theater, an older woman, ca. 1930-31. Madeline is mentioned in Nov. 1936. From May 1934 to Apr. 1936 Ratner received psychiatric treatment at Bloomingdale Hospital, White Plains, NY. In Sept. 1937 he married Neva Lowman, daughter of Professor and Mrs. Guy Lowman, football coach at the Univ. of Wisconsin; they divorced in 1941 (and may have lived together only two years).
Born in London, Ratner was raised in Winnipeg, Canada, came to the U.S. in 1919, and in 1924 became a U.S. citizen. He received his BAA. from City College of New York, his MAA. and Ph.D. 1923 and 1930 from Columbia Univ. under JD. In 1924 he was awarded a fellowship from Trinity College, Cambridge Univ., where he studied with G. E. Moore. Ratner taught at Columbia (1940), New York Univ., New School for Social Research, and 1940-45 at City College. He was assistant editor for the Encyclopaedia of the Social Sciences. Ratner became JD's trusted colleague and family friend. He collaborated with JD on works and edited several collections of JD's writings: The Philosophy of John Dewey (1928), Characters and Events (1929), Intelligence in the Modern World: John Dewey's Philosophy (1939), and Education Today (1940). Ratner's works also include his edited Philosophy of Spinoza (1927) and Spinoza on God. Ratner also worked on John Keats; in JD's library is a copy of The Complete Works of John Keats, ed. H. Buxton Forman; vol. 1 (1900, 1924), inscribed to JD Xmas 1930-New Year 1931 "from his pupil Joseph Ratner." In 1945 Ratner began preparing a biography of JD that he never finished. Ratner was married to an actress in the Yiddish theater, an older woman, ca. 1930-31. Madeline is mentioned in Nov. 1936. From May 1934 to Apr. 1936 Ratner received psychiatric treatment at Bloomingdale Hospital, White Plains, NY. In Sept. 1937 he married Neva Lowman, daughter of Professor and Mrs. Guy Lowman, football coach at the Univ. of Wisconsin; they divorced in 1941 (and may have lived together only two years).