A pioneer in East Asian studies, Jansen remembered

Throughout his lifetime, Professor Emeritus Marius Jansen '44 refused to allow outside circumstances affect his intense drive to follow his dreams and passions.

When financial concerns threatened to crumble his chance at receiving a University education, Jansen rose to the occasion and took extra classes each semester to graduate early.

He and a few classmates would gather for class at 7 a.m. and pass around a box of cereal because none of the men had eaten breakfast, his wife Jean recalled with a chuckle.

"His intellect was the first thing that attracted me to him. He was interested in everything," she said. "He graduated in three years because Uncle Sam was knocking on the door," she laughed.

Later in his life, though a series of ailments left Jansen physically frail, he still continued to pursue his interests in both scholarship and leisure.

Following Jansen's retirement, when his failing eyesight challenged his ability to read, he used a large magnifying glass to help him focus on the words before him. At home, despite painful arthritis, the gifted pianist continued to play his favorite Chopin pieces for his family every evening.

"He never felt sorry for himself despite [his ailments]. He was a tremendous example for people — a real humane person," said East Asian studies professor Jack Langlois '64, an undergraduate student of Jansen's.

Jansen — well known for his work in East Asian Studies — died Dec. 10.

The Netherlands-born scholar of Chinese and Japanese history helped strengthen Japanese-American relations and in 1999 was the first and only westerner to receive the Prize for Distinguished Cultural Merit conferred by the Japanese Emperor.

Jansen also wrote and edited more than 20 books in his field in both English and Japanese, a language he learned during World War II as part of his United States military service.

"He broke down many barriers in the Far East," his wife said, remembering Jansen's "50 or 60 or more trips to Japan" and the many times he invited Japanese scholars to stay at his home and to visit the Princeton campus.

"People enjoyed him. He never bragged about himself," Jean said. "It just seemed like what he was doing was the most natural thing in the world. But it was unusual."

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Those who knew Jansen greatly admired his unique talents, seeking his company and the familiar "twinkle in his eye," she recalled.

Likewise, when Jansen enrolled at Harvard to study Japanese during World War II, his former professors at the University encouraged him to remember his ties to Princeton.

"He went to Harvard with the blessings of his professors," Jean said. "They told him 'hurry up and get famous so we can invite you back [to the University].' "

In 1959, Jansen loyally returned to Princeton to teach in the departments of history and oriental studies and later was instrumental in creating the Department of East Asian Studies, where he served as chairman for three years.

"Most people would say he was an extremely gentle, very serious, gentle scholar with a very sharp mind and a wry sense of humor," said Martin Collcutt, Jansen's former colleague in the department of East Asian studies.

Langlois, who teaches the undergraduate course ECO 299/EAP 301: Banking and Finance in China and Japan, agreed.

"He made my life a lot richer, I must say," he said. "I hope I can do that for my students."