In this paper I attempt to review critically the historical thought of Isaria Kimambo through time by examining a selected number of his publications and manuscripts. The paper also incorporates comments from his peers and colleagues, as well as his own assessment. In conclusion, the paper appeals to historical institutions and organizations in the developing world (including the Department of History, University of Dar es Salaam and the Historical Association of Tanzania) to cultivate a culture of awarding outstanding historians for the purpose of promoting creativity, commitment, and devotion to the discipline.

Isaria Ndelahiyosa Kimambo turned 72 years of age in 2003, For half his lifetime Kimambo has served the Department of History of University Dar es Salaam and the Historical Association of Tanzania (HAT). Established in 1964, the Department of History is one of the oldest departments in the University, which started in 1961 as a college of the University of London. In 1963 this became the college of the University of East Africa, based at Makerere, Uganda, and in 1970 it became a full-fledged University. HAT, which became a non-governmental organization in 2000, was born in 1966, with Kimambo as one of the founding members.

Kimambo joined the Department of History in 1965, when he was in his third year of doctoral studies at Northwestern University. In 1967 he successfully defended his dissertation entitled “The Political History of the Pare People to 1900,” which was based on research he conducted in Upare in northeastern Tanzania. In 1969 he became the Head of History Department, the first indigenous Head, taking over from Terence O. Ranger, who left the Department and joined the University of California at Los Angeles as Director of African Studies.