Papers of Professor Daniel George Edward Hall

The collection comprises the correspondence and research papers of Daniel George Edward Hall. Correspondence includes that between Hall and his publishers; friends and colleagues in Burma and Britain (1926-1970); the School of Oriental and African Studies and University of London (1934-1968); the British Broadcasting Corporation, including notes for broadcasts on the subject of Burma (1960-1961) and Professor Gordon Luce (1924-1978). Hall's research work includes material relating to Major Henry Burney, for his work Henry Burney: A Political Biography , (1974), and material relating to Burma's relations with Britain. Also included are a number of photographs, spanning Hall's professional career.

Daniel George Edward Hall was born on 17 November 1891, the son of a Hertfordshire farmer, and received his early education at Hitchin Grammar School. He entered King's College, University of London, where he graduated with a first-class Honours degree in Modern History in 1916, winning the Gladstone Memorial Prize and an Inglis Studentship for postgraduate studies. After completing his Master's Degree he served with the Inns of Court Regiment until the end of the First World War. In 1916 he found a post as Senior History Master at the Royal Grammar School, Worcester. In 1919 he moved to a similar position at Bedales School, Hampshire. In the same year, he married Helen Eugenie Banks. She had likewise been awarded the Gladstone Memorial Prize and as an undergraduate at King's had been two years junior to Hall.

In 1921, Hall was offered the Chair of History at the newly founded University of Rangoon. His energies were at first absorbed in coping with teaching courses in Western History. This involved not only teaching, but in some cases writing textbooks appropriate to the needs of his students. Within five years in Rangoon, Hall had produced three such works: Imperialism in Modern History , (1923), A Brief Survey of English Constitutional History , (1925), and (as co-author) The League of Nations: a Manual for University Students... in India, Burma and Ceylon , (1926).

On his return to England in 1934 he became Headmaster of Caterham School. In 1949 the University of London appointed Dr. Hall to the newly established Chair in South East Asian History at the School of Oriental and African Studies. His work, the History of South East Asia was completed and published in 1955. Following his retirement from the University of London in 1959, he became a visiting Professor at Cornell University in the United States where he spent much of his time during the next 14 years. He was also a visiting Professor at the University of British Columbia during 1964-1965; Monash University, 1965-1966 and the University of Michigan, 1966. He died on 12 October 1979.

(Introduction drawn from the Obituary written by C. D. Cowan for the SOAS Bulletin, vol. XLIV, 1981).

The collection has been arranged into three main sections: correspondence; research work and photographs.

Open

Donated in 1980.

Unpublished handlist