Commager, Henry Steele, 1902-1998

Historian.

From the description of Reminiscences of Henry Steele Commager : oral history, [196-?]. (Columbia University In the City of New York). WorldCat record id: 122619921

From the description of Reminiscences of Henry Steele Commager : oral history, 1979. (Columbia University In the City of New York). WorldCat record id: 309728956

American historian.

From the description of The price of Eire's neutrality : printed, 1943. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 122587092

American historian and teacher.

From the description of Typed letters signed (2) : New York and [n.p.], to Stark Young, 1946 Mar. 14 and [no year] Mar. 8. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 270874892

Henry Steele Commager, 1902-1998, was a historian, public intellectual, and engaged citizen. He taught American Studies and History at New York University (1926-1938), Columbia University (1939-1956), and Amherst College (1956-1992). Commager was a prolific writer, editor, and public speaker.

From the description of Commager Papers, 1920-1998 (bulk 1945-1985). (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 176879324

• 1902 Oct 25: Born in Pittsburgh, Penn. to James Williams Commager and Anna Elizabeth Dagmar Dan
• 1923: Completed Ph.B. at the University of Chicago
• 1924: Completed M.A. at the University of Chicago
• 1924 - 25 : Studied at University of Copenhagen on an American-Scandinavian Foundation fellowship
• 1926 - 38 : Taught at New York University: 1926-29 Instructor 1929-30 Assistant Professor 1930-31 Associate Professor 1931-38 Professor
• 1928: Married Evan Alexa Carroll. Children: Henry Steele, Nellie Thomas, and Elizabeth Carroll Completed Ph.D. at the University of Chicago: Struensee and the Reform Movement in Denmark Began working with Samuel Eliot Morrison on Growth of the American Republic
• 1929: Received American Historical Association's Herbert Baxter Adams Prize for most distinguished first book
• 1930: Growth of the American Republic published
• 1934: Documents of American History published Our Nation published, Eugene C. Barker, co-author
• 1936: The Great American Preacher: Theodore Parker published
• 1939 - 56 : Taught at Columbia University: Visiting Professor 1937-38 Professor 1939-56 Adjunct Faculty 1956-59
• 1939: Wrote New York Times Magazine series advocating interventionist role in Europe Heritage of America published, edited with Allan Nevins
• 1940 - 46 : History Editor for Oxford University Press
• 1940: Involved with Committee to Defend America by Defending the Allies
• 1941: Bacon Lecturer at Boston University
• 1940 - 49 : Wrote regular column for Scholastic for middle and high school readers
• 1942: The Pocket History of the United States co-authored with Alan Nevins Richards Lecturer at University of Virginia Appointed to editorial board of The American Scholar
• 1942 - 43 : Visiting Professor of American History Cambridge University, Peterhouse College Inaugurated American Studies at Cambridge University
• 1943: Majority Rule and Minority Rights published America: Story of a Free People published, with Allan Nevins
• 1943: Appointed special representative to the Office of War Information "to fulfill lecture arrangements scheduled by the British Ministry of Information" Appointed to the War Department's Historical Branch Advisory Committee
• 1943 Fall: Assessed Nazi military power for Army Air Force with historian panel
• 1944: Recorded "nonpolitical talks" on American electoral process for the Office of War Information to be broadcast to Europeans on shortwave radio Majority Rules, Minority Rights published
• 1945: Consultant to the United States Army, attached to the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force The Pocket History of the United States with Allan Nevins released under the title A Short History of the United States The Story of the Second World War published Meet the USA published
• 1947 - 48 : Pitt Professor at Cambridge University
• 1947: "Who is Loyal to America?" published in Harper'sAmerica in Perspective published (editor)
• 1948 - 51 : President of PEN
• 1948: The St. Nicholas Anthology compiled with Evan Commager
• 1950: The Blue and Grey published The American Mind: An Interpretation of American Thought and Character Since the 1880s published
• 1951: Appointed to the Foreign Policy Association Editorial Advisory Committee Lecturer at Salzburg Seminar in American Studies Living Ideas in America published
• 1952: Elected to the National Institute of Arts and Letters Attended the Fulbright Conference on American Studies at Cambridge Chestnut the Squirrel published
• 1952 - 53 : Held the first Harmsworth Professorship at Oxford University
• 1953: Lectured at Royal University Uppsala as Gottesman Professor "Guilt - and Innocence - By Association" published in the New York Times
• 1954: Europe and America Since 1942 published, co-authored with Geoffrey Bruun Encyclopedia of American History published, co-edited with Richard Morris New American Nation series launched by Harpers, Commager and Morris co-editors Freedom, Loyalty, Dissent published Freedom, Loyalty, Dissent earned Sidney Hillman Foundation Award
• 1954 Nov 24: Interviewed on CBS television program Chronoscope
• 1954 - 55 : Zuskind Professor at Brandeis University
• 1955 - 56 : Fulbright Professor of American History at the University of Copenhagen
• 1956: Lectured at German universities in State Department program
• 1956 - 92 : Taught at Amherst College
• 1956: Smith Professor of History
• 1957 - 61 : Amherst College Professor of American History and American Studies
• 1962 - 71 : Winthrop H. Smith Professor of American History and American Studies
• 1971 - 92 : John Woodruff Simpson Lecturer in History and Emeritus Smith Professor
• 1993 - 98 : John Woodruff Simpson Lecturer, Emeritus
• 1956: Gave lecture series at Port of Spain, Trinidad
• 1957: Awarded Knight of Order of Dannebrog (Denmark) Visiting Professor at University of Aix, France
• 1958: The Spirit of Seventy Six published with Richard Morris Lecturer, University of Israel
• 1960 - 61 : Received Guggenheim Fellowship to study American nationalism
• 1960: Appointed Gino Speranza Lecturer on American Traditions and Ideals at Columbia University Supported Senator John F. Kennedy as a member of the organization Intellectuals for Kennedy
• 1960: Editorial advisory committee to the Woodrow Wilson Papers
• 1961: Historical consultant to NBC television series The Americans Appeared on ABC television show Meet the Professor
• 1962: Appointed to the United States National Commission for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Crusaders for Freedom published
• 1963: Advisory Editor of History to Charles H. Merrill Books College Division
• 1963 Jul 31: The Dialogues of Allan Nevins and Henry Steele Commager broadcast on CBS Television Network
• 1964: Commonwealth Lecturer, University of London Harris Lecturer, Northwestern University
• 1965: Visiting Lecturer, National University of Mexico The Nature and Study of History published
• 1966: Elected to the National Academy of Arts & Letters "Television the Medium" in TV GuideFreedom and Order published
• 1967: Freedom and Reform edited by Harold Hyman and Leonard Levy published to honor Commager Donates Childe Hassam painting Flags on Friar's Club to Amherst College Chaired the Massachusetts Dissenting Democrats Active with the National Committee for Effective Congress (NCEC)
• 1967 Feb 20: Appeared before Senate Foreign Relations Committee to discuss foreign policy
• 1968: The Commonwealth of Learning published
• 1968: Active with Citizens for Eugene McCarthy
• 1968 Mar 28: Evan (Carroll) Commager died Born: 1904 Feb 4 Married: 1928 Jul 3
• 1970: Donated nearly 6,000 volumes to Hampshire College Library 1971 Appointed to the John Woodruff Simpson Chair at Amherst College, previously held by Robert Frost and Archibald MacLeish; appointed Emeritus Professor Served Library of Congress as Honorary Consultant in American History Funded Evan Commager Fellowship at Amherst College
• 1971 Mar 8: Appeared before Senate Foreign Relations Committee on War Powers Act
• 1972: Awarded American Academy of Arts and Letters Gold Medal for History
• 1972 Mar 1: Addressed the Senate Subcommittee on Administrative Practice and Procedure on issue of amnesty for Vietnam draft resisters
• 1973 Oct: New York Times headline: "Commager Urges Nixon Impeachment"
• 1974: Britain Through American Eyes published The Defeat of America published
• 1974: Appeared on Bill Moyer's Journal television program
• 1975: Declaration of Interdependence for World Affairs Council published
• 1977: Empire of Reason published
• 1977 Spring: Held Patten Lectureship at Indiana University
• 1979: Our Day and Generation: The Words of Edward M. Kennedy, editor Mort Kunstler's 50 Epic Paintings, text by Commager
• 1979 Jul 14: Married Mary Eleanor Powlesland
• 1980 Feb 20: Appeared on The Dick Cavett Show
• 1981: Appointed Bullitt Visiting Professor of American History at the University of Washington in Seattle for the winter and spring quarters
• 1984: Awarded Claude Pepper Medal for contributions to social democracy
• 1985: Awarded special citation from Actor's Fund of America at Night of 100 Stars II
• 1987: Advisor to PBS Childhood
• 1988 Sep 15: Appeared on Bill Moyer's A World of Ideas television series (WNET)
• 1990 May 2: Received the Society of American Historians, Bruce Catton Prize for Lifetime Achievement
• 1991: Honored with named professorship "in recognition of 35 years distinguished scholarship and dedication to the teaching" of Amherst students
• 1993: Commager on Tocqueville published
• 1998 Mar 2: Died in Amherst, Mass.

From the guide to the Henry Steele Commager Papers, 1920-1998, (bulk 1945-1985), (Amherst College Archives and Special Collections)