Harry Ezekiel Wedeck (1894 – 8 July 1996) was a British linguist, classical scholar, translator, and writer on the occult, astrology, and aphrodisiacs.
Biography A native of Sheffield, West Riding of Yorkshire, UK, Wedeck served in India in the British Army during the First World War. He graduated with an M.A. from the University of Edinburgh. He spoke French fluently and studied and travelled in France. Eventually he immigrated to the United States and studied at Teachers College, Columbia University. During the late 1920s he taught Latin at Seward Park High School in Manhattan. For over two decades he taught Latin at Brooklyn's Erasmus Hall High School and from 1935 until (at least) 1950 chaired the high school's department of classical languages. (See the condolence message by Joyce T. Smith.) After retirement from Erasmus Hall High School, he taught Greek and Latin classics at Brooklyn College until 1968 and then lectured on medieval studies at The New School for Social Research until 1974.
Wedeck translated novels from French into English and vice versa. He contributed articles to The Saturday Review of Literature and The Classical Journal. Near the end of his teaching career, he produced many books. Several of the books, including Dictionary of Astrology, A Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, A Treasury of Witchcraft, and Triumph of Satan, remained available in paperback reprints for decades.
Upon his death at the age of 102, he was survived by his widow, Rose Slata Wedeck, two sons, Edmond (1923–2011) and David (1926–2011), and four grandchildren.
Books and monographs
2nd edition, 1938
with Wade Baskin:
with Wade Baskin:
as editor co-edited with Abram Lipsky: co-edited with Wilbert Lester Carr and George Depue Hadzsits: co-edited with Wilbert Lester Carr:
co-edited with Frederick M. Schweitzer: ;
as translator co-translator with Thomas Taylor and others: ;
References