Kenneth S Sacks

Kenneth S. Sacks is Professor of History at Brown University, where he has served since 1998. Previously, he was at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (1976-1995) as a faculty member and later Dean of the College. His research focuses on Greek intellectual history and American Transcendentalism, particularly Ralph Waldo Emerson. He holds a Ph.D. in Ancient History from UC Berkeley (1976), alongside MA (1971) and BA (1969) degrees from UC Berkeley and the University of Pittsburgh respectively.

His scholarly work includes major publications like Understanding Emerson: 'The American Scholar' and His Struggle for Self-Reliance (Princeton UP, 2003) and Diodorus Siculus and the First Century (Princeton UP, 1990). Current projects involve a book on Emerson's Civil War writings and a Cambridge Texts volume on Emerson's political thought.

Award-winning educator, Sacks has received accolades including the 1993 Baron Faculty Achievement Award and multiple teaching recognitions from UW-Madison. His affiliations include leadership roles in the Brown Program on Ancient Studies and the Howard Foundation Board. Courses taught span ancient Hellenistic history and American Transcendentalism, blending classical and American intellectual traditions.