On Monday night I received the very sad news that Jerome Cohen had passed away that day at 95. Jerry was a giant in Chinese law and it is hard to imagine the field without him. I first saw his name when I came across his book, The Criminal Process in the People’s Republic of China, in the Canadian Embassy library in Beijing in the spring of 1978. It fascinated me immediately, and I arranged to meet him a couple of years later in Tokyo when I was living there and he was passing through. These were literally life-changing events for me. He was a mentor, teacher, and friend ever since.
On social media and on email listservs, many have commented on how much he did for them and others. But the meaning of his life extends beyond that—it includes the inspiration he provided to others to emulate his model of generosity and thereby to enrich the lives of still others, in an ever-widening ripple. It is strange to imagine a world without Jerry. But in fact he lives on in a very real way in the people and institutions he fostered over the years.
There’s already an obituary in the Wall Street Journal, and one will be forthcoming in the New York Times. Here is a lovely tribute from Jerry’s long-time friend and colleague Bill Alford of Harvard Law School.
To repeat what many have already observed: Jerry was a real mensch. May his memory be a blessing.
Jerry wasn’t the only China Hand giant we’ve recently lost. Tess Johnston, a US diplomat turned scholar and preservationist of Old Shanghai, predeceased him by a week. If you have pull with the Washington Post for an obituary of him, might I suggest a “two for one” for one on Tess’s behalf as well? I met both of them both in Beijing during the 2000s. I will not forget either of them, nor their outstanding contributions to enhance my understanding of China. Thanks.