Clifford Ando
Clifford Ando was born in 1969. He began his higher education journey at Princeton University. The institution granted him a bachelor's degree in 1990. This early academic foundation led him to the University of Michigan. There he completed his doctorate in 1996. His professional career took root at the University of Chicago. He holds the title of Robert O. Anderson Distinguished Service Professor. This position spans three departments: Classics, History, and the College. From 2017 until 2024, he served as Chair of the Classics Department.
His scholarship focuses on law, religion, and government during the Imperial era. He examines specific issues regarding Roman citizenship. Legal pluralism forms another core theme within his research. He also investigates legal procedure in ancient contexts. The history of law interests him through relations among civil law, public law, and international law. These themes appear across his major publications. One book titled Imperial Ideology and Provincial Loyalty in the Roman Empire explores these dynamics deeply. Another work called The Matter of the Gods delves into religious aspects. A co-edited volume with Jörg Rüpke addresses Religion and Law in Classical and Christian Rome.
The American Philological Association honored his work with the Goodwin Award in 2003. This prize recognized his book Imperial Ideology and Provincial Loyalty in the Roman Empire published in 2000. He edited a collection titled Roman Religion released in 2003. His publication list includes Le Droit et l'Empire from 2012. That same year saw the release of Imperial Rome: The Critical Century covering the period from A.D. 193 to 284. He also wrote Roman Social Imaginaries which appeared in 2015. Bryn Mawr Classical Review published reviews of both The Matter of the Gods and his earlier award-winning text. Numerous articles and essays fill out his broader bibliography.
Ando has held fellowship positions across multiple continents. He serves as a research fellow in the Department of Classics and World Languages at the University of South Africa. Visiting professorships took him to Canada, France, Germany, New Zealand, and South Africa. These international appointments reflect his broad scholarly reach. Grants and prizes support his ongoing research activities. The University of Chicago Law School lists these additional activities on his faculty profile. Such global engagement allows him to compare legal systems beyond the Roman context.
In 2008 he joined other faculty members questioning the establishment of the Milton Friedman Institute. This institute represents a specific policy shift within the university. More recently he criticized the fiscal management of the institution. He charged that administrators sacrificed historic values for financial reasons. Teaching quality suffered under this new direction according to his assessment. The commitment to humanities once defined the University of Chicago but now faces erosion. His public opposition highlights tensions between academic tradition and modern administrative priorities.
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Common questions
When was Clifford Ando born?
Clifford Ando was born in 1969. He began his higher education journey at Princeton University where he received a bachelor's degree in 1990.
What degrees did Clifford Ando earn and from which universities?
Clifford Ando earned a bachelor's degree from Princeton University in 1990 and completed his doctorate at the University of Michigan in 1996. His professional career took root at the University of Chicago where he holds the title of Robert O. Anderson Distinguished Service Professor.
Which books has Clifford Ando written about Roman law and religion?
Clifford Ando wrote Imperial Ideology and Provincial Loyalty in the Roman Empire published in 2000 and The Matter of the Gods which delves into religious aspects. He also co-edited Religion and Law in Classical and Christian Rome with Jörg Rüpke and published Le Droit et l'Empire in 2012.
What awards has Clifford Ando received for his scholarship?
The American Philological Association honored Clifford Ando with the Goodwin Award in 2003 for his book Imperial Ideology and Provincial Loyalty in the Roman Empire. This prize recognized work published in 2000 that explored dynamics within the Roman Empire.
Where does Clifford Ando hold faculty positions and fellowships?
Clifford Ando serves as Chair of the Classics Department at the University of Chicago from 2017 until 2024 and holds a position spanning three departments including History and the College. He is also a research fellow in the Department of Classics and World Languages at the University of South Africa.
Why did Clifford Ando oppose the Milton Friedman Institute at the University of Chicago?
In 2008 Clifford Ando joined other faculty members questioning the establishment of the Milton Friedman Institute due to policy shifts within the university. He criticized fiscal management by charging that administrators sacrificed historic values for financial reasons which caused teaching quality to suffer.