Henry Steele Commager

Date of Birth: October 25, 1902

Zodiac Sign: Scorpio

Date of Death: March 2, 1998

Biography

Henry Steele Commager was an influential American historian and public intellectual known for his extensive work in American history and the role of public intellectuals in shaping national discourse. Born on October 25, 1902, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Commager grew up in a scholarly environment that fostered his love for history and learning. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Chicago in 1923 and completed his Ph.D. at the same institution in 1928. Commager began his academic career teaching at New York University before moving to Columbia University, where he became a prominent figure in the history department. He later joined the faculty at Amherst College, where he continued to teach and write until his retirement. Throughout his career, Commager was known for his eloquent writing style and his ability to make history accessible to the general public. He authored numerous books, including “The American Mind: An Interpretation of American Thought and Character Since the 1880s” and co-authored “A Short History of the United States” with Samuel Eliot Morison. Commager was also a vocal advocate for civil liberties and often engaged in public debates about American values, democracy, and the role of the historian in society. His work has left a lasting impact on the field of American history and continues to influence scholars and students today.

5 Interesting Facts about Henry Steele Commager

1. Henry Steele Commager was a strong advocate for academic freedom and was involved in the controversy over McCarthyism, defending the rights of academics during the Red Scare.

2. He received the Bancroft Prize in 1959 for his book “The Empire of Reason: How Europe Imagined and America Realized the Enlightenment.”

3. Commager was a prolific writer, contributing essays and articles to major publications such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, and Harper’s Magazine.

4. He was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Philosophical Society.

5. Commager was instrumental in compiling and editing the “Documents of American History,” a widely used collection in American history courses across the country.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Henry Steele Commager

1. “The greatest danger we face is not any particular kind of thought. The greatest danger is absence of thought.”

2. “Change does not necessarily assure progress, but progress implacably requires change.”

3. “There is no true history of a nation until its people are made participants in it.”

4. “Education is essential for the preservation of democracy.”

5. “The historian’s task is to preserve, not to destroy; to cultivate, not to discard; to transmit, not to obliterate.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

Henry Steele Commager’s highest net worth is not well-documented, but as an academic and author, his wealth was likely modest compared to contemporary public figures.