Cynthia Whittaker

Cynthia Hyla Whittaker (May 15, 1941 – October 11, 2023) was an American academic and author. As a historian, she specialized in the history of Eastern Europe, especially the Russian Empire and of the Soviet Union. She built her career while teaching courses in the subject at Baruch College.

Biography

Early life Cynthia Hyla Whittaker was born on May 15, 1941. She received an undergraduate degree from Marymount College in Tarrytown, New York in 1962. She received advanced degrees in Russian history and literature from Indiana University at Bloomington.

Career Whittaker taught courses in Eastern European history at both the undergraduate and graduate levels at Baruch College since 1984, and for a time served as Chair of the History Department there. Whittaker was a Fulbright Scholar and received research grants from—among others—the Harriman and Kennan Institutes, as well as the Rockefeller Foundation.

From 1999 to 2000 she was a visiting fellow at the Slavic Research Center of Hokkaido University in Japan. From October 2003 to May 2004 she co-curated a museum exhibit entitled Russia Engages the World, 1453-1825 at the New York Public Library.

Death Cynthia Whittaker died in New York City on October 11, 2023, at the age of 82. Reviewed in American Historical Review, Canadian Slavonic Papers, Jahrbücher für Geschichte Osteuropas, Slavic Review, Russian Review and History of Education Quarterly.

Reviewed in Slavic and East European journal, Russian Review, American historical review, Canadian-American Slavic studies, Slavic review and Groniek.

Reviewed in: Slavic and East European journal''', Solanus, European History Quarterly and Jahrbücher für Geschichte Osteuropas.''

Journal articles

Whittaker was working on an intellectual biography of Catherine the Great.