Henry Steele Commager Papers, 1920-1998 (bulk 1945-1985): Biographical and Historical Note

Biographical Note

HENRY STEELE COMMAGER - CHRONOLOGY

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's America 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 Guide Freedom 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.