Origins & Early Life

Anatol Borisovich Rapoport (Ukrainian: Анатолій Борисович Рапопо́рт; Russian: Анато́лий Бори́сович Рапопо́рт; May 22, 1911 – January 20, 2007) was an American mathematical psychologist. He contributed to general systems theory, to mathematical biology and to the mathematical modeling of social interaction and stochastic models of contagion. Rapoport was born in Lozova, Kharkov Governorate, Russia (in today's Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine) into a secular Jewish family. In 1922, he moved to the United States, and in 1928 became a naturalized citizen.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

He started studying music in Chicago and continued with piano, conducting and composition at the Vienna Hochschule für Musik where he studied from 1929 to 1934. However, due to the rise of Nazism, he found it impossible to make a career as a pianist. He shifted his career into mathematics, completing a Ph.D. in mathematics under Otto Schilling and Abraham Adrian Albert at the University of Chicago in 1941 on the thesis Construction of Non-Abelian Fields with Prescribed Arithmetic. According to The Globe and Mail, he was a member of the American Communist Party for three years, but quit before enlisting in the U.S.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Army Air Forces...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Ahmed Urabi — Contemporary (Died in 1911) (1911): Pioneering Egyptian military and political leader who spearheaded the 'Urabi Revolt.
• Alfred Binet — Contemporary (Died in 1911) (1911): Pioneering French psychologist and inventor of the seminal Binet–Simon Intelligence Test.
• Aly Khan — Contemporary (Born in 1911) (1911): Diplomat, socialite, and former Pakistani Ambassador to the UN.
• Al Oerter — Contemporary (Died in 2007) (2007): Four-time Olympic champion in the discus throw, pioneering athletic consistency.
• Albert Ellis — Contemporary (Died in 2007) (2007): Pioneering figure in psychotherapy, founder of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)
• Alfred Peet — Contemporary (Died in 2007) (2007): Dutch-American founder credited with starting the US specialty coffee revolution.
• Abdul-Malik al-Houthi — Shared historical date (05-22 · Born) (1979): Yemeni religious leader and second principal figure of the Houthi movement (Ansar Allah).
• Albrecht von Graefe (ophthalmologist) — Shared historical date (05-22 · Born) (1828): Pioneering German ophthalmologist, instrumental in establishing modern eye care.
• Abdul Ghaffar Khan — Shared historical date (01-20 · Died) (1988): Pioneering nonviolent activist and founder of the Khudai Khidmatgar movement.
• Adam Oehlenschläger — Shared historical date (01-20 · Died) (1850): Pioneering Danish Romantic poet and playwright who shaped national literature.
• 1911 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1911
• May 22 (05-22) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on May 22
• 2007 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 2007
• January 20 (01-20) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on January 20