Malaysia Vasudevan, Indian actor and playback singer, died from heart failure he was , 66.

Vasudevan Nair known as Malaysia Vasudevan was a Tamil playback singer and actor in the Tamil film industry died from heart failure he was , 66.. He was known for singing songs for Indian actor Rajnikanth and many more.

(15 June 1944 – 20 February 2011),

Early life

Malaysia Vasudevan’s parents were from Palakkad. In the early years of the last century Chattu Nair of Ottappalam, Ammalu of Polpulli along with their respective families migrated to Malaysia in search of livelihood. They became labourers in the rubber estates of Klang Valley. After a few years Chattu Nair and Ammalu became husband and wife in an arranged marriage. Vasudevan was born on June 15, 1944 as their eighth child. His surroundings in Malaysia were predominantly Tamil and his life was lived in Tamil, at school and at home.
Chattu Nair was musically inclined and all his children grew with a natural ability to sing and appreciate music. Malaysia Vasudevan had once said that all his family members, except his mother Ammalu, were singers. He first started learning music from his father and later on, his brother taught him. Vasudevan started singing on stage when he was eight. And yes he was interested in acting too.
When Vasudevan grew up he got attached to Tamil drama troupes in Malaysia as an actor and singer. The producers of one of his plays ‘Ratha Paei’ wanted to make it as a film. Vasudevan came with the group to Chennai and acted in the film `Raththa Paei’. He even sang a song for the film under the baton of G.K. Venkatesh for whom Ilaiyaraja was working as the assistant..

Professional career

Playback singer

Malaysia Vasudevan's first major song was in the film `Delhi to Madras' that starred Jaishankar and Srividya. It was a comedy song ‘Paalu Vikkira Padma Un Paalu Romba Suthhama? for the music director V. Kumar. This chance was possible because of his friendship with the film’s producer Pollachi Rathnam. After that he joined Pavalar Brothers troupe which was run by Ilaiyaraja and his brothers.
During a stage performance, music director MSV heard Vasudevan and gave him a small piece of a song in `Bharatha Vilas' (he sang for the Punjabi in ‘Indhiya Naadu En Veedu’) and then a song in `Thalai Prasavam'. The first big break came when Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan made him sing ‘Kaalam Seyyum Vilaiyattu’ in `Kumasthavin Magal'. Vasudevan was rechristened Malaysia Vasudevan by AP Nagarajan in this film.
Later when his good friend Illayaraja stormed the Tamil film industry with `Annakili', he was made to sing in Annakili and after `Aattukutti Muttai Ittu' from `16 Vayathinile’ happened, Malaysia Vasudevan never looked back. Illayaraja backed him until he became a star singer.
Malaysia Vasudevan has sung close to 8000 songs in his three decades of active career out of which most are for Illayaraja. Illayaraja made Malaysia Vasudevan sing songs of all kinds and genre. Every song Malaysia Vasudevan rendered with utmost sincerity and surprised everyone with the range he had.
Soft romantic songs like ‘Indha Minminikku’(Sigappu Rojakkal), ‘Vaan Megangalay’ (Puthiya Vaarpukal), ‘Malargale Nadha Swarangal’ (Kizhake Pogum Rayil), ‘Malargalilay Aaraadhanai’(Karumbu Vil), ‘Kodai Kaala Kaatray’(Panneer Pushpangal), ‘Poove Ilaya Poove’ (Kozhi Koovuthu) Thangachangili Minnum Painkili (Thooral Nindru Pochhu), etc must be some of the timeless favourites of Tamil film music lovers.
Even under the baton of the maestro MS Viswanathan, Malaysia Vasudevan had sung many illustrious songs. ‘Ezhudhugiral Oru Pudhukkavithai’ (Saranaalayam),‘Enniyirundhadhu Eadera’ (Andha 7 Naatkal) and the super duper hits from ‘Billa’ are just a few rare gems.
Sensuous songs like ‘Kanna Thorakkanum Saami’, ‘or ‘Nila Kaayudhu’ and Emotional songs like ‘Oru Thanga Rathathhil’(Dharma Yudhham), ‘Allithhandha Bhoomi Annai Allava’(Nandu), ‘Adi Aadu Poongodiye (Kali), ‘Vaa Vaa Vasanthamey (Puthu Kavithai), ‘Pattuvanna Rosavam’ (Kannipparuvathile) Ponmaana thedi naanum poovodu (Enga oor Rasathi) all came easy to Vasudevan and succeeded in showing some other brilliant facets of the wonderful singer. His largely folksy tunes sung for Shankar Ganesh are also of inimitable class.
Some of the best songs of Malaysia Vasudevan happened at the time when he was considered the voices of Sivaji Ganesan and Rajinikanth. Who can forget the songs of ‘Mudhal Mariyathai’ which were rendered with a rare spirit of genius? And for the Super Star? From Pothuvaga en mansu thangam (Murattukalai) to Aasai Nooru vagai (Adutha Varisu) to many others and there are too many.
Malaysia Vasudevan is like TMS who was content with the popularity achieved only in Tamil. He was of the notion that to sing in other languages he should have known well the nuances of other languages. At a time when not knowing the language is the first preferred criterion to sing in Tamil, Malaysia Vasudevan’s resolve may sound funny to many today.
Malaysia Vasudevan, an iconic singer of the 80s and 90s is no more. Vasudevan worked with many music directors such as M. S. Viswanathan, Ilaiyaraja, Shankar-Ganesh, Deva, A. R. Rahman, and Vidyasagar. After T. M. Soundararajan, he was called as ghost voice for Sivaji Ganesan. His first song was for the film Delhi to Madras. He has sang over 8,000 in Tamil and over 4,000 songs in various other South Indian languages. He has also sung few songs in Hindi.
Malaysia Vasudevan has sung a lot of songs for Rajnikanth. Some of his notable songs for Rajnikanth were Ennama Kannu Sowkiyama (Mr. Bharat) Singamondru Purapattadhe (Arunachalam), Yejaman Kaladi Manneduthu (Yejaman), Agaya gangai,oru thanga rathathil (Dharma Yutham)and many others.
He has also lended voice for a few albums, the most notable among them is Disco Disco (1987), a collaboration with composer Dilip (A R Rahman) and playback singer K. S. Chithra. The album is noted for being the first album production of A. R. Rahman.^[2] Though it didn't become much popular, Disco Disco Vol 2 was also released later.

[edit] Acting career

Malaysia Vasudevan has also acted in nearly 85 films. Veteran Tamil director A.P. Nagarajan christened him as "Malaysia Vasudevan". Some of his notable films include Mudhal Vasantham (with Sathyaraj), Oomai Vizhigal (with Vijayakant), Kathanayagan (with Pandiyarajan), Oru Kaidhiyin Diary (with Kamal Hassan), Jallikattu, Thiruda Thiruda, Amaidhippadai, Povae Unnakaga, Punnagai Desam, and Kokki. Besides acting in films, he has acted in a good number of tele serials.

Writer

Malaysia Vasudevan wrote a book of poems called "Ennam Thondriyathu Ezhutha Thoondiyathu" in the year 2010.

Last Projects

Last Song, "HAPPY" in the year 2010 for the movie Bale Pandiya in the music of Devan Ekambaram. Last movie as an actor, "Ithanai Naalaai Engiruthaai" yet to be released. Last song written, "DEVATHAIYE" for the movie "BALAM" in the music of his son Yugendran Vasudevan Nair in the year 2009.

Personal life

Malaysia Vasudevan married Annaporani also known as Usha Vasudevan on 26th January, 1976. Malaysia Vasudevan has three children Yugendran, Prashanthini and Pavithra. His son Yugendran Vasudevan Nair has acted in many films in Tamil and other languages. He is also a playback singer in Tamil. His daughter Prashanthini is a playback singer. She has sung songs like "Mundhinam" in the movie Vaaranam Ayiram and many more. Malaysia Vasudevan has four grand children. Visashan Naarayan and Kishan Naarayan born to Yugendran, Sai Narayan born to Pavithra and Rithvik son of Prashanthini.

Awards

• He has been awarded Kalaimamani by the Tamil Nadu Government. Tamilnadu State Award for Best singer.

Death

Malaysia Vasudevan died on 20 February 2011 at 1.00 PM at Chennai, Tamil Nadu.^[3][4][5
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Suresh Babu, Indian Olympic athlete, died from cirrhosis he was , 58.

Suresh Babu  was an Indian long jumper from Kerala who had held the national titles in the long, triple, and high jump events, in addition to the decathlon died from cirrhosis he was , 58.. He was one of the athletes to win medals in two events in successive Asian Games, the bronze in the decathlon in the Tehran Asian Games in 1974 and a gold in the long jump in the Bangkok Asian Games, 1978.
Suresh Babu dominated the scene between 1972 and 1979, winning national titles in the jumps and decathlon and at the same time picking his event for laurels on the international arena.
Babu died on 19 February 2011 in Ranchi while attending the 2011 National Games of India.^[1][2]

(10 February 1953 - 19 February 2011)

Early life

Born in Kollam in Kerala on 10 February 1953, Suresh Babu was a science graduate who was good in athletics. He excelled as an athlete in Infant Jesus High School and the Fatima Mata College in Kollam. His first appearance at the national level -was as a junior at Jalandhar in 1969. Three years later he won the national championship in high jump, a title he was to claim for six more years. Switching from one pit to another, he won the national championship in long jump during the years 1974, 1977 and 1979 and the triple jump in 1974, 1976 and 1978. In between he strayed over to the ten card event of decathlon and imposed himself on the national scene in the championships held in 1974, 1975 and 1978.

International career

The Munich Olympics of 1972 he had his first exposure of international athletics, but it was in the Tehran Asian Games in 1974 he won his first medal. This was a Bronze in the decathlon., He won Gold medal in the Asian Championships at Seoul the following year. In between he was the captain of the Indian University's athletics team during the World Universities Games at Moscow in 1973.
Suresh Babu led the Indian athletics team to the 1978 Commonwealth Games at Edmonton in Canada and won a Bronze medal for long jump. He then went on to win the Gold medal at the 1978 Asian Games in Bangkok, His winning effort of 7.85 metres was far short of T. C. Yohannan's 8.07 metres of the earlier Games. His next target was the 1979 Asian Athletics Meet in Tokyo where he won a Silver medal, During his seven years as an active athlete Suresh Babu also won medals for India at competitions in Ceylon, Lahore and the Philippines and was the captain of the Indian team for the World Athletics Meet at Montreal in 1979.

In retirement from athletics

Suresh was employed as a Sports Officer with Kerala Sports Council, Suresh Babu had earlier served as Special Officer for Sports and Games, on the Kerala State Electricity Board. He was a member of the Technical Committee of the All India Electricity Sports Control Board and a coach at the Sports Authority of India (Southern Centre) in Bangalore. He was the State Supervisor of SAI for Kerala and Lakshadweep.

Awards and honors

• Recipient of Arjuna Award, 1978–79

Babu worked as a coach in lncpe for degree and pg students

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Florinda Chico, Spanish actress died she was , 84.

Florinda Chico Martín Mora  was a Spanish actress of film, theater and television.

(24 April 1926 – 19 February 2011)

Biography

Florinda Chico Martín Mora was born in 1926 in Don Benito, Extremadura, Spain. She studied singing and then started her artistic career on the stage acting in musical revues. Her first successes were El huevo and the revue La blanca doble (1947) with the comedian trio Zori, Santos y Codeso. Although she made her debut on cimena in 1953 with the movie Pasaporte para un ángel it wasn't until the late 1960s that she became famous in Spain.
She often played the roles of feisty, fleshy housewife or grumpy maid. She worked with director Mariano Ozores in almost two dozen films. She also appeared in such dramas as Cría cuervos (1976) and La casa de Bernarda Alba (1987).
She was also a regular on such television series as La tía de Ambrosio (1971), Los maniáticos (1974), Este señor de negro (1975-76), de Antonio Mercero, Taller mecánico (1991), El sexólogo (1994), Makinavaja (1995-96) and La casa de los líos (1996-2000). In the 1980s she appeared in the theater play Mi tía y sus cosas.
Florinda died on 19 February 2011 in Madrid at age 84 of a strong respiratory disease.

Filmography

Movies

1953 - Intriga en el escenario 1954 - Pasaporte para un ángel (Órdenes secretas) 1957 - Los maridos no cenan en casa 1966 - Una señora estupenda 1967 - El hueso 1967 - Monica Stop 1967 - Las que tienen que servir 1968 - Las secretarias 1968 - La chica de los anuncios 1969 - Vamos por la parejita 1969 - Susana 1969 - La vida sigue igual 1969 - Abuelo Made in Spain 1969 - Las amigas 1969 - No somos ni Romeo ni Julieta 1969 - La que arman las mujeres 1969 - Amor a todo gas 1970 - La otra residencia 1970 - Cateto a babor 1971 - La Graduada 1971 - Si Fulano fuese Mengano 1971 - La casa de los Martínez 1971 - Los corsarios 1971 - La red de mi canción 1972 - Venta por pisos

1972 - Soltero y padre en la vida 1972 - El padre de la criatura 1972 - En un mundo nuevo 1972 - Dos chicas de revista 1973 - La descarriada 1973 - Me has hecho perder el juicio 1974 - Jenaro el de los 14 1974 - Dormir y ligar: todo es empezar 1974 - El calzonazos 1974 - Los caballeros del botón del ancla 1974 - Cuando los niños vienen de Marsella 1975 - Madres solteras 1975 - No quiero perder la honra 1975 - El mejor regalo 1975 - Tres suecas para tres Rodríguez 1975 - Yo soy Fulana de Tal 1975 - Haz la loca... no la guerra 1976 - Cría cuervos 1976 - Nosotros, los decentes 1976 - Ambiciosa 1976 - El alegre divorciado 1976 - El señor está servido 1976 - La noche de los cien pájaros 1976 - Guerreras verdes 1976 - Adulterio a la española

1976 - Alcalde por elección 1977 - Ésta lo que es... 1977 - Virilidad a la española 1977 - Un día con Sergio 1977 - Eva, limpia como los chorros del oro 1977 - Uno del millón de muertos 1977 - Celedonio y yo somos así 1977 - Gusanos de seda 1978 - Réquiem por un empleado 1979 - Los energéticos 1979 - Los bingueros 1980 - ¡Qué verde era mi duque! 1980 - La vida, el amor y la muerte 1980 - El niño de su mamá 1980 - El soplagaitas 1980 - Tu estás loco Briones 1980 - ...Y al tercer año, resucitó 1980 - Miedo a salir de noche 1980 - El divorcio que viene 1980 - Yo hice a Roque III 1980 - Hijos de papá 1981 - Queremos un hijo tuyo 1981 - Gay Club 1981 - Los chulos 1981 - ¡Qué gozada de divorcio!

1982 - Si las mujeres mandaran (o mandasen) 1982 - La canción de los niños 1982]] - La vendedora de ropa interior 1982 - Las chicas del bingo 1982 - El hijo del cura 1982 - En busca del huevo perdido 1982 - El gran mogollón 1983 - El currante 1983 - El cura ya tiene hijo 1983 - Mi amigo el vagabundo 1984 - Cuando Almanzor perdió el tambor 1985 - Una y sonada... 1986 - Capullito de alhelí 1987 - ¡No, hija, no! 1987 - La casa de Bernarda Alba 1987 - ¡Biba la banda! 1988 - Simpáticos degenerados 1988 - Jarrapellejos 2002 - No somo

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Norman Corner, British footballer died he was , 68.

James Norman Corner, known as Norman Corner, was an English professional footballer who could play as either a centre half or a forward. Active in the Football League between 1964 and 1971, Corner made 160 appearances, scoring 32 goals  died he was , 68.

(16 February 1943 – 19 February 2011)

Early life

Corner was born in the mining village of Horden,^[2] in County Durham, England, on 16 February 1943.^[3] He attended Horden Roman Catholic School where he played centre half and wing half for the football team, and was selected for East Durham Boys.^[3]

Career

Corner played youth football with Horden Colliery Welfare before he signed amateur forms at Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1961.^[2][3] He spent 18 months with Wolves but was restricted to appearances in the Northern Intermediate League teams and returned to Horden Colliery Welfare.^[2][3] In August 1962, he again attracted a league club and he signed for Hull City on professional forms.^[2] Corner's debut for Hull came against Brentford in April 1964 when he scored twice in a 3–1 win at Griffin Park.^[3] However, he played only five first team games, scoring four goals, in five years, during which time Hull turned down an approach from Brian Clough at Hartlepools United,^[4] before Lincoln City signed Corner for a fee just short of £4,000.^[2]
He made his Lincoln debut on 7 October 1967 against Newport County to help his new side win 2–1.^[3] In April 1968, he scored a hat-trick against Bradford (Park Avenue)^[2] with all three goals coming from corners.^[3] His final game with Lincoln came on 18 January 1969 in a 2–2 draw with Brentford.^[3]
The same month, Bradford City paid a fee also close to £4,000 for Corner.^[2] At 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m), he was the tallest player to have played for the club at the time.^[2] He made his debut in a Bradford derby against Park Avenue on 25 January 1969^[2] and scored his first goal in the following game which finished in a 5–1 victory against Grimsby Town.^[5] He helped City to 21 games undefeated to earn them promotion in his first season at the club during which period he scored eight goals.^[2][5] In his second season, he tallied another five goals and also scored in a League Cup match against Sunderland.^[5] In his third season, he moved into defence, but still scored in all four of the club's FA Cup games.^[5] However, along with Bruce Bannister he was unable to agree personal terms with the club.^[2] He appealed to an independent tribunal which proved to be unsuccessful but left the club on a free transfer to join Park Avenue in March 1972.^[2] His last game for City was in December 1971, against Aston Villa.^[5]
Corner had passed his coaching exams while with City, and started coaching at Park Avenue.^[3]
In July 1973, he moved to South Shields.^[2] He played one season with South Shields, before he took over as player-manager at Wingate in the Wearside League.^[3] They came runners-up in the league and won a number of cup competitions under his guidance.^[3]
He returned to Horden Colliery and scored their first goal in the Northern League following promotion from the Wearside League.^[3] He remained at the club on the committee.^[3]
He went onto begin his own business and coached in schools.^[2]

Later life and death

After returning to the North-East, Corner lived in Horden, where he served on the committee at his former club Colliery Welfare, and later Peterlee.^[4] He was married to Jean, with whom he had two children Susan and Steven.^[4] Corner died on 19 February 2011, three days after his 68th birthday.^[5] His funeral was held at Horden Catholic Church,^[4] next to the Colliery Welfare's home ground.

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Donald L. Cox, American leader of the Black Panther Party died he was , 74.

Donald Lee Cox , known as Field Marshal DC, was an early member of the leadership of the African American revolutionary leftist organization the Black Panther Party, joining the group in 1967  died he was , 74.. Cox was titled the Field Marshal of the group during the years he actively participated in its leadership, due to his familiarity with and writing about guns.

(April 16, 1936 – February 19, 2011)

Biography

After a rural upbringing in western Missouri, Cox moved to San Francisco in 1953 at age 17. He became interested in political action through following the desegregation and civil rights events of the next several years. Cox joined the Oakland, California-based Black Panthers in 1967 in response to a civilian-shooting-by-police incident in the Hunters Point section of San Francisco a year earlier.^[2] Along with Eldridge Cleaver, Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale and others, Cox was a member of the "central committee" of the Panthers.^[1]
Cox became a national organizer and spokesperson for the group, which was involved in multiple legal cases and a target of the COINTELPRO project of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation.^[3] In January 1970, Cox was invited to speak to several dozen guests of composer Leonard Bernstein and his wife Felicia at their penthouse apartment in the wealthy Upper East Side neighborhood of Manhattan. The gathering was an effort to raise funds for the defense of twenty-one Black Panther members who were charged with conspiracy to bomb buildings and other crimes.^[1][4] Cox was famously photographed along with the Bernsteins for a cover story essay by Tom Wolfe in New York magazine, published in June of 1970 and entitled "Radical Chic: That Party at Lenny's".^[4] The article led to the popularization of "radical chic" as a critical term.^[5] Cox, along with the Bernsteins, vehemently dismissed Wolfe's notion that the New York upper class was dabbling in radical politics as a fashion statement at the event, vouching for their sincerity.^[1]
Shortly after the Bernstein fundraiser Cox was accused along with several others of conspiracy to murder a Panther who was an informant in Baltimore named Eugene Anderson. Cox fled the United States to avoid trial, living first in Algeria and later in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of southern France. Cox did not return to the United States, although he married an American from Philadelphia, Barbara Easley. He died in exile in Camps-sur-l'Agly, France in February 2011.^[1]

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Ollie Matson, American Hall of Fame football player (Cardinals, Rams, Lions, Eagles), died from complications from dementia he was , 80.

Ollie Genoa Matson II  was an American Olympic medal winning sprinter and professional American football running back who played in the National Football League, in 1952 and from 1954 to 1966 died from complications from dementia he was , 80. . He graduated from George Washington High School in San Francisco in 1948.

(May 1, 1930 – February 19, 2011)

College career

Matson attended the City College of San Francisco prior to transferring to the University of San Francisco. While in school, Matson became a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. In 1951, Matson's senior year at USF, he led the nation in rushing yardage and touchdowns en route to leading the Dons to an undefeated season. He was selected as an All-American and finished ninth in Heisman Trophy balloting that year.
Despite its 9-0 record, the 1951 San Francisco team was not invited to a bowl game. It was later reported that the Orange, Sugar and Gator Bowls - all in the American South - did not consider inviting any teams that had black players, and the USF refused to play without its two African-American teammates.^[1]
Drafted #1 by the Chicago Cardinals, he went on to share 1952 Rookie of the Year honors with Hugh McElhenny of the San Francisco 49ers. During his 14-year career, Matson also played for the Los Angeles Rams (traded by the Cardinals for nine Rams players following the 1958 season),^[2] the Detroit Lions and the Philadelphia Eagles, and he was named to the Pro Bowl six times (1952, 1954 to 1958). When Matson retired in 1966, his 12,799 career all-purpose yards were second only to Jim Brown.^[3] Matson was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1972, and into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1976.
Matson also won a bronze medal in the 400-meter run and a silver medal as part of the United States 4x400-meter relay team in the 1952 Summer Olympics held in Helsinki, Finland.
Ollie Matson was a member of The Pigskin Club Of Washington, D.C. National Intercollegiate All-American Football Players Honor Roll.

Personal life

He married his wife Mary, whom he met when both were San Francisco teenagers in the mid 1940s, in 1952. He and Mary lived in the same Mid-City Los Angeles home from the time he played for the Los Angeles Rams until his passing. The site is being nominated as the 'Ollie and Mary Matson Residence', a City of Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument, as an historic house museum and interpretive center. Museum and Interpretive is Landmarking 2007-2008, being prepared by students of Los Angeles Trade Technical College, Program in Historic Preservation, anticipated listing mid-2008. Matson suffered from Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in his later years, which is a result of numerous hard hits to the head Matson sustained during his time in the NFL.^[4]

Death

Matson died in his Los Angeles home on February 19, 2011 of respiratory failure, surrounded by family.

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Anson Rainey, American academic and author, died from pancreatic cancer he was , 81.

Anson Frank Rainey was Professor Emeritus of Ancient Near Eastern Cultures and Semitic Linguistics at Tel Aviv University died from pancreatic cancer he was , 81.. He authored and edited books and articles on the cultures, languages and geography of the Biblical lands. He is the only scholar to date to have personally read and studied all of the existing Amarna tablets, the legendary administrative letters from the period of Pharaoh Akhenaten's rule during the 18th Dynasty of Egypt. 


  (January 11, 1930 – February 19, 2011)

Biography

Early life

Anson Rainey was born in Dallas, Texas in 1930. Upon the death of his father that same year he was left with his maternal grandparents. He entered Brown Military Academy (San Diego, California) from 1943 to 1946. After one semester of study there (as a Cadet Battalion Commander), he served as Assistant Commandant at the Southern California Military Academy (Long Beach, California; Spring Semester, 1947), before transferring to John Brown University (Siloam Springs, Arkansas).^{[citation needed]}

Education

From 1948-49 he worked as Assistant Commandant at the Brown Military Academy of the Ozarks, in Sulphur Springs, Arkansas, while attending university. He took the B.A. degree there in Religious Education in August 1949. From 1949-51, he worked as a social worker for the County Welfare Department, San Bernardino, California. He went on to enroll in the California Baptist Theological Seminary (Covina, California), where he took three degrees: M.A. in Old Testament (May 1953); B.D. in Biblical Theology (May 1954); M.Th. in Old Testament (May 1955).^{[citation needed]}
From September 1953 until May 1954, he was a teaching fellow in Hebrew, Old Testament and New Testament Introduction. In 1954 he was appointed Assistant Professor and taught for two more years. From 1955–56, he studied at the University of California, Los Angeles and completed the B.A. with Honors in August 1956. In 1957, he began graduate study at Brandeis University, where he earned an M.A. in June 1959. He spent a third year of residence (1959–60), studying for his Ph.D He came to Israel in June 1960, as the sole American recipient of the Government of Israel Award. From 1960-61, he studied at the Hebrew University, first in an intensive Hebrew course and then in Archaeology and in the Egyptian, Coptic and Phoenician languages (all in Hebrew). At the same time, he completed the basic research for his doctoral dissertation. In 1961, he returned to Brandeis as a research assistant. Upon completion of his dissertation on the Social Structure of Ugarit, he was awarded his Ph.D. in June 1962.^{[citation needed]}
However, his main activity for the academic year, 1962–63, was research and study under a grant from the Warburg Fund at the Hebrew University. This award was renewed for 1963-64, and the book that resulted was translated into Hebrew and published by the Bialik Institute (August 1967). It was a revision of the earlier dissertation, expanded to include new source material that had subsequently become available. He began teaching Ugaritic and Akkadian at the Tel Aviv University. From 1965–66, he served as acting chairman of the Ancient Near Eastern Studies Department. In 1966, his status was changed to Lecturer in Semitic Languages. A year later he was appointed Senior Lecturer. In 1970 he was elevated to Associate Professor of Ancient Near Eastern Cultures. The department was reorganized under the title, Archaeology and Ancient Near Eastern Cultures, in which he served as coordinator for Mesopotamian Studies until October 1975. A new department of Semitic Linguistics was also organized, and from 1971-72 he was its acting chairman. He was promoted to the rank of Full Professor of Ancient Near Eastern Cultures and Semitic Linguistics effective July 1, 1981.^{[citation needed]}

Scholarship

Rainey served on the editorial boards of Israel Oriental Studies, an annual, and of Tel Aviv, a quarterly, both publications of Tel Aviv University. He continued his connection with the American Institute of Holy Land Studies (now the Jerusalem University College), teaching Historical Geography and for six years, from 1964 to 1969, conducting their intensive program of geographical field trips. During the 1960s and 1970s He pursued additional studies at the Hebrew University in Akkadian, Sumerian and Egyptian. He took a sabbatical leave in 1970-71, during which time he deemed it advisable to remain in Jerusalem to study. For a second sabbatical, he was awarded a grant by the American Council of Learned Societies. On the basis of this award he was able to spend 1976-77 as an Honorary Research Fellow at Harvard University. Grants from the Research for Peace Project of the Tel Aviv University made possible three visits to the Cairo Museum from 1980-82 and the el-‘Amârna Tablets in the Museum were all collated.^{[citation needed]}
From 1982-85 he began teaching part-time at Bar Ilan University in the Department of Eretz-Israel Studies. During a third sabbatical in 1983-84, he was Visiting Research Scholar at the University of Pennsylvania. During a fourth sabbatical in 1988-89, he was again Visiting Research Scholar at the University. During a fifth sabbatical for 1995-96, he was again Visiting Research Scholar at the University where he also taught a seminar in Northwest Semitic inscriptions. From 1996 until September 30, 1998, he continued to teach as Full Professor at Tel Aviv University. On October 1, 1998 he became Emeritus Professor there but taught a course in Historical Geography during the academic years 1998-99, 1999–2000 and 2000-2001.
He spent July 1999 in Jordan studying historical geography and archaeology. In August and September of 1999 he spent the sabbatical time working at the British Museum collating el-‘Amârna tablets. 66 texts were read and many substantial corrections were discovered. Four days were spent at the Vorderasiatische Museum in Berlin where eleven texts were collated, some with new readings and corrections. Further collations were made at the Metropolitan Museum of New York in November 1999, and at the British Museum and at the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago in January and February of 2000, bringing the total of collated texts up to about 100. A third visit to the United Kingdom in April 2001 was made to complete the collation of texts in the British Museum and also those in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford. Fall 2001 was spent at the University of California, Los Angeles, where consultation began with the Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative in digitizing the Amarna tablets in the Berlin Museum. During the Spring 2002 semester he was invited to teach as a visiting professor of Historical Geography and Ancient Hebrew at Konkuk University in Seoul, South Korea. In August and September 2002 he was a visiting research scholar at the University of Melbourne, Australia.^{[citation needed]}
From 2002-07 he taught as adjunct professor at Bar Ilan University and Orot College and at the Jerusalem University College. From 2003-04 he spent ten months collating the el-‘Amârna tablets at the Vorderasiatische Museum in Berlin and at other venues in Europe. A completely new edition of the tablets is envisioned along with photographic and internet recording. The edition of the texts and the notes derived from collations will be placed on the internet. During the 53th Rencontre of the International Association of Assyriologists in Moscow in July 2007, he collated the last three el-‘Amârna tablets (at the Pushkin Museum).^{[citation needed]}

Death

Anson Rainey died, aged 81, from pancreatic cancer in Tel Hashomer, Israel.

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