Edward A. Kracke Jr. (January 22, 1908 – July 8, 1976[2]) was an American historian of China at the University of Chicago, specializing in Song dynasty history.
under his belt, he studied Chinese and Central Asian history under Étienne Balazs at l'École nationale des langues orientales vivantes in Paris, France, in 1935–36.
From 1936 to 1940 he studied Chinese language and history at Yenching University in Beiping (Beijing), China, where he associated with William Hung.
[3] Subsequently, he returned to Harvard, working with Edwin O. Reischauer, John K. Fairbank and Serge Elisséeff and completing a post-doctoral fellowship in Japanese language.
[4] During World War II, Kracke worked as an intelligence officer at the Far East Division, Research and Analysis Branch of the Office of Strategic Services in Washington, D.C. From January 1944 to October 1945 he headed the Japanese Political Section, producing reports on political conditions in Japan, Formosa (Taiwan), and Korea.