Daniel Aaron facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Daniel Aaron
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Aaron in a 2010 interview
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Daniel Baruch Aaron
August 4, 1912 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
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| Died | April 30, 2016 (aged 103) Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.
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| Education | University of Michigan (BA) Harvard University (PhD) |
| Occupation | Americanist, academic |
| Employer | Harvard University |
| Title | Victor S. Thomas Professor of English and American Literature Emeritus |
| Board member of | Library of America |
| Awards | National Humanities Medal |
Daniel Aaron (born August 4, 1912 – died April 30, 2016) was an American writer and university professor. He was very important in helping to create the Library of America. This organization works to publish classic American books.
Contents
Learning and Education
Daniel Baruch Aaron was born in 1912. His parents were immigrants from Russia. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan. Later, he studied at Harvard University. In 1937, he became the first person to get a degree in "American Civilization" from Harvard. This new field of study focused on American culture and history.
His Career and Work
Writing Books and Papers
Aaron published his first academic paper in 1935. It was called "Melville and the Missionaries." He wrote many studies about important periods in American history. These included the American Renaissance and the American Civil War. He also wrote about American writers who supported social change. His last book was his autobiography, The Americanist, published in 2007. He also worked on editing the diaries of American poet Arthur Crew Inman. These diaries were very long, with millions of words. Aaron also wrote articles for the New York Review of Books.
Teaching at Universities
Daniel Aaron taught at Smith College for 30 years. He also taught at Harvard University from 1971 to 1983. At Harvard, he was a special professor of English and American Literature. His son, Jonathan Aaron, is also a poet. Jonathan teaches writing at Emerson College in Boston.
Helping to Publish Books
In 1979, Daniel Aaron helped start the Library of America. This organization publishes important American books. He was the president of the Library of America until 1985. He also served on its board of directors for many years.
Awards and Recognition
Daniel Aaron was recognized for his important work. In 1973, he became a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. This means he was chosen as a distinguished member. In 1977, he joined the American Academy of Arts and Letters. This group honors top artists, writers, and composers. Harvard University gave him an honorary Doctor of Letters degree in 2007. This was a special award for his achievements.
Some of His Works
Books He Wrote
- Commonplace Book, 1934-2012 (2015)
- Scrap Book (2014)
- The Americanist (2007)
- American Notes: Selected Essays (1994)
- Cincinnati, Queen City of the West: 1819-1838 (1992)
- The Unwritten War: American Writers and the Civil War (1973)
- America in Crisis: Fourteen Crucial Episodes in American History (1971)
- Writers on the Left: Episodes in American Literary Communism (1961, 1974 and 1992)
- Men of Good Hope (1951)
Books He Edited
- Arthur Crew Inman, From a Darkened Room: The Inman Diary, edited by Daniel Aaron (1996)
- Arthur Crew Inman, The Inman Diary: A Public and Private Confession (1985)
- Paul Elmer More, Shelburne Essays on American Literature, edited by Daniel Aaron (1963)
See also
In Spanish: Daniel Aaron para niños
- List of members of the American Academy of Arts and Letters Department of Literature
