Remembering Evan Bukey, Professor of History

Alumni Association, University of Arkansas

Evan Bukey, courtesy of Alumni Association's Distinguished Award Committee

It is with deep regret that the History Department announces the passing of Evan Bukey, professor emeritus of the Department of History, on Nov. 20, 2024. He was a distinguished scholar, esteemed colleague, and dedicated mentor. We feel compelled to say that the University of Arkansas lost an icon.

Bukey was iconic as a gentleman of yesteryear, always impeccably dressed as if stepping out of a Brooks Brothers catalog (he humorously admitted to owning a “shameful number of neckties”). He was iconic for leaving a lasting impression on generations of students, whose esteem, affection, and respect he earned: “They praise him – as the Fulbright College declared in honoring him with a Master Teacher Award in 1997 – even while they groan a bit about his tough standards and expectations.”

The senior editor of this Arkansas News, too, fondly remembers Bukey, saying, “He always seemed like the professor you see in movies: Erudite, with a sense of humor, and really enthused about whatever he had discovered or gleaned at the moment.”

Bukey was iconic also for his genuine cosmopolitanism. He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1940, and schooled at Ohio Wesleyan University, then at The Ohio State University, where he earned his Ph.D. Bukey began his international journey as a Fulbright exchange student in the 1960s, marking the start of a lifelong engagement with international education. His expertise in modern German and Austrian history earned him accolades, including a visiting professorship at Wolfson College, Cambridge, in the 1990s.

A true citizen of two worlds, Bukey mastered the German language so thoroughly that his English occasionally bore a hint of a German accent — a testament to his deep immersion in his field.

Despite his extensive international experiences, Evan Bukey called Fayetteville, Arkansas, home for over 50 years. He joined the University of Arkansas History Department in 1969, achieved the rank of full professor by 1986, and continued his academic legacy as Professor Emeritus following his retirement in 2008. Pursuing his continuous engagement with international scholars, he also held leadership roles in the German Studies Association, and in the Conference Group Central European History.

Bukey’s first two books — Hitler’s Hometown: Linz, Austria, 1908-1945 (Indiana University Press, 1986) and Hitler’s Austria: Popular Sentiment in the Nazi Era, 1938-1945 (University of North Carolina Press, 2000) — established his reputation as one of the leading authorities on Austria during the Nazi era. Both books, also translated into German, received national acclaim, awards and international recognition. Most notably, his second book received the National Jewish Book Award in 2000 and the Austrian Cultural Book Prize in 2001. In 2002, Bukey was also recognized by the Arkansas Alumni Association’s Distinguished Achievement Award, honoring both his mentorship and his scholarly reputation.

As Professor Emeritus, Bukey continued to work tirelessly, publishing two additional books and numerous articles. Two years after publishing his third book, titled Jews and Intermarriage in Nazi Austria (Cambridge University Press, 2011) he received The Vogelsang Prize, Austria’s highest award for academic scholarship, sponsored by the Austrian Federal Ministry for Science, Research and Economy. “This award pays homage to Bukey’s essential publications on the role of Austria in the Nazi regime,” said Reinhold Mitterlehner, Austria’s economic minister, on that occasion.

Bukey’s final book achievement was Juvenile Crime and Dissent in Nazi Vienna, 1938-1945 (Bloomsbury, 2019) another testament to his seamless transitions back and forth between political and social history.

In an autobiographical note written for his family, Bukey reflected on his childhood years in Cincinnati, recounting the service of his father, U.S. Army Lt. Col. Norman Bukey, at the Anti-Aircraft School in Camp Davis, North Carolina, and the mixture of personal and historic emotions tied to the events of World War II. Concluding that memory, he wrote: “For me, the war was over, but my lifelong fascination with Nazi Germany had just begun.”

Evan Bukey is survived by his wife Anita; his children, Ellen and David; his grandchildren Robin, Sebastian, Gretchen, Kathryn, and Lauren; and his brother David Bruce. A celebration of his life will be held in the spring at the Butterfield Trail Village retirement community on a date to be announced. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Ohio Wesleyan University fund for The Richard W. Smith Lecture in Civil War History, to the Salvation Army, or to the cause of your choice.

Bukey's first two books — Hitler's Hometown: Linz, Austria, 1908-1945 (Indiana University Press, 1986) and Hitler's Austria: Popular Sentiment in the Nazi Era, 1938-1945 (University of North Carolina Press, 2000) — established his reputation as one of the leading authorities on Austria during the Nazi era. Both books, also translated into German, received national acclaim, awards, and international recognition. Most notably, his second book received the National Jewish Book Award in 2000 and the Austrian Cultural Book Prize in 2001. In 2002, Bukey was also recognized by the Arkansas Alumni Association's Distinguished Achievement Award, honoring both his mentorship and his scholarly reputation.

As Professor Emeritus, Bukey continued to work tirelessly, publishing two additional books and numerous articles. Two years after publishing his third book, titled Jews and Intermarriage in Nazi Austria (Cambridge University Press, 2011) he received The Vogelsang Prize, Austria's highest award for academic scholarship, sponsored by the Austrian Federal Ministry for Science, Research and Economy. "This award pays homage to Bukey's essential publications on the role of Austria in the Nazi regime," said Reinhold Mitterlehner, Austria's economic minister, on that occasion. Bukey's final book achievement was Juvenile Crime and Dissent in Nazi Vienna, 1938-1945 (Bloomsbury, 2019) another testament to his seamless transitions back and forth between political and social history.

Evan Bukey with his father, U.S. Army Lt. Col. Norman Bukey, on Dec. 7, 1941, the day Pearl Harbor was attacked. (Courtesy of the Bukey-Langley families)

In an autobiographical note written for his family, Bukey reflected on his childhood years in Cincinnati, recounting his father U.S. Army Lt. Col. Norman Bukey's service at the Anti-Aircraft School in Camp Davis, North Carolina, and the mixture of personal and historic emotions tied to the events of World War II. Concluding that memory, he wrote: "For me, the war was over, but my lifelong fascination with Nazi Germany had just begun."

Evan Bukey is survived by his wife Anita, his children Ellen and David, his grandchildren Robin, Sebastian, Gretchen, Kathryn, and Lauren, and his brother David Bruce. A celebration of his life will be held in the Spring at the Butterfield Trail Village retirement community on a date to be announced. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Ohio Wesleyan University fund for The Richard W. Smith Lecture in Civil War History, to the Salvation Army, or to the cause of your choice.