Allan Nevins facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Allan Nevins
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Joseph Allan Nevins
May 20, 1890 Camp Point, Illinois, U.S.
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| Died | March 5, 1971 (aged 80) San Mateo, California, U.S.
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| Alma mater | University of Illinois |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Fleming Richardson |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | Columbia University |
| Doctoral students |
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Joseph Allan Nevins (born May 20, 1890 – died March 5, 1971) was an American historian and journalist. He was famous for his many books about the Civil War. He also wrote biographies of important people like Grover Cleveland and Henry Ford. Nevins was a pioneer in studying business history and oral history. Oral history means collecting and studying spoken stories and memories.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Allan Nevins was born in Camp Point, Illinois. His father was a farmer. Nevins went to the University of Illinois. He earned a master's degree in English in 1913.
In 1916, he married Mary Fleming Richardson. They had two daughters, Anne Elizabeth and Meredith.
Career Highlights
Nevins wrote his first book, The Life of Robert Rogers, in 1914. He also wrote a history of the University of Illinois in 1917. These books were written while he was still studying.
He then worked as a journalist in New York City for twenty years. He wrote for newspapers like the New York Evening Post and The Nation. Even while working, he kept writing and editing history books. In 1922, he published a history of the Evening Post.
In 1924, Nevins became the literary editor for the New York Sun. A year later, he became an editorial writer for the New York World. He also taught American History at Cornell University for a short time. As a journalist, Nevins covered political campaigns. He noticed unfairness and prejudice in some parts of the country.
In 1928, Nevins joined the history department at Columbia University. He stayed there for thirty years until he retired in 1958. In 1931, he became a full-time professor. He became the Dewitt Clinton Professor of History in 1939.
During this time, he wrote many important books:
- Grover Cleveland: A Study in Courage (1932) – This book won his first Pulitzer Prize.
- Hamilton Fish: The Inner Story of the Grant Administration (1936) – This won his second Pulitzer Prize.
- A two-volume biography of John D. Rockefeller (1940, expanded in 1953).
During World War II, Nevins taught at Oxford University in England. He also worked for the Office of War Information in Australia and New Zealand. Later, he worked at the American embassy in London.
After returning to Columbia, Nevins started a huge series of books about the American Civil War. The first volume, The Ordeal of Union (1947), won the Bancroft Prize. In 1948, Nevins started the first oral history program in the U.S. This program is now Columbia University's Center for Oral History. He also wrote a three-volume biography of Henry Ford and the Ford Motor Company.
From 1938 to 1957, Nevins hosted a radio show called Adventures in Science. It covered many science and medical topics.
After retiring from Columbia, Nevins moved to California. He worked as a researcher at the Huntington Library. He also supported John F. Kennedy in the 1960 Presidential Campaign. Nevins led the national Civil War Centennial Commission. He finished his eight-volume series on the American Civil War.
In 1966, Nevins received the Golden Plate Award. As a historian, he guided over 100 students writing their doctoral papers. He published over 50 books and many articles. He was also president of several important historical groups.
Death and Legacy
Allan Nevins died in Menlo Park, California, in 1971. He was buried in New York. The last two volumes of his Civil War series won the U.S. National Book Award in History in 1972. Historians later put together a book called Allan Nevins on History to honor him. His granddaughter, Jane Mayer, also became a journalist. The Society of American Historians gives an Allan Nevins prize each year to new historians.
Published Work
Nevins wrote more than 50 books. Most of them were about political and business history and biographies from the 1800s. He also wrote many newspaper and academic articles. His books were known for their deep research and clear, journalistic writing style.
He wrote biographies about:
His biography of Grover Cleveland won the 1933 Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography. His book on Hamilton Fish won the same award four years later.
The Ordeal of the Union Series
Nevins' most famous work was Ordeal of the Union (1947–1971). This was an 8-volume history of the events leading up to the Civil War and the war itself. He passed away before he could write about the period after the war. This series is still one of the most detailed accounts of that time. It has a slight bias towards the Union side.
The last two volumes of this series won the 1972 U.S. National Book Award in History. Nevins also helped create a 13-volume series on American social history.
Books on John D. Rockefeller
Nevins wrote several books about John D. Rockefeller and his family. This included a two-volume biography of Rockefeller. Some people criticized Nevins for being too kind to powerful businessmen. However, other historians say his studies helped people understand American industrialization better.
Nevins believed that economic growth in the U.S. did not cause much suffering. He thought it raised living standards and made the U.S. a strong industrial power. He argued that the big business leaders of that time should not be seen as "robber barons." Instead, he saw them as people whose actions, even if self-interested, helped American history.
Later biographers followed Nevins' lead. They wrote about figures like J. Pierpont Morgan, Andrew Carnegie, and Cornelius Vanderbilt. These writers aimed for a more complete understanding of America's economic past.
Connection to John F. Kennedy
Nevins was a big supporter of Senator John F. Kennedy. He wrote the introduction for Kennedy's famous book, Profiles in Courage. Nevins also helped organize a group called "Professors for Kennedy" during the 1960 presidential election. Later, Nevins and his friend Henry Steele Commager disagreed about the Vietnam War. Commager was against it, but Nevins thought it was necessary during the Cold War.
See also
In Spanish: Allan Nevins para niños
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