Andre Lionel de Saint-Rat, 1918-2001

Andre Lionel de Saint-Rat was a Proefssor Emeritus in Russian language, having taught at Miami from 1951-1981. He worked tirelessly to establish and build up what is now called The Andre L. de Saint-Rat Collection of Russian History, Liturature and Art. The Collection is a key part of the Walter Havighurst Special Collections Library on the third floor of King Library, and it houses rare, unique, and valuable books, manuscripts and other research materials, including one of only 3 existing copies of the modernist drawings of Russian revolutionary figures by Yurii Annenkov. In addition to the collection in the library, he had a fine personal collection of early 20th century Russian painting, graphics and manuscripts, particularly associated with the Mir Iskusstva Art Gallery and at galleries and museums nationally and internationally, including the Smithsonian.

Andre de Saint-Rat was born in Lyons, France on August 20, 1918. He was educated at the École des Langues Orientales and the Sorbonne and received a master's degree from the University of Michigan. During World War II, he fought for the Free French Forces in Algeria, Morocco and France. He was assigned in 1945 to the Repatriation Service of the Allied Control Commission where he worked for the release of western nationals held in Nazi-held territories then occupied by the Soviets.