Harold Holzer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Harold Holzer
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Holzer in 2014
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| Born | February 5, 1949 |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Queens College of the City University of New York (BA) |
| Known for | Scholar of Abraham Lincoln |
| Spouse(s) | Edith Spiegel |
Harold Holzer (born February 5, 1949) is a well-known expert on Abraham Lincoln and the political life during the American Civil War Era. He is currently the director of the Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute at Hunter College. Before this, Holzer worked for 23 years at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. He was a senior vice president there before retiring in 2015.
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Harold Holzer's Early Life and School
Harold Holzer was born in Brooklyn, New York, on February 5, 1949. His parents were Charles and Rose Holzer. Charles was a construction contractor, and Rose was a homemaker. Harold went to Queens College of the City University of New York. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree there in 1969. In 1971, Holzer married Edith Spiegel, who is a writer. They have two children, Remy and Meg. Holzer is Jewish.
Harold Holzer's Career Journey
Holzer started his career as a newspaper reporter. He then became the editor of The Manhattan Tribune. After that, he worked as a press secretary for important political figures. These included Congresswoman Bella S. Abzug and mayoral candidate Mario Cuomo. He also wrote speeches for New York City Mayor Abraham D. Beame. For six years, he was the public affairs director for WNET, a PBS TV station. From 1984 to 1992, Holzer worked for Governor Mario Cuomo. They even wrote a book together called Lincoln on Democracy.
In 1992, Holzer joined The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. He became their chief communications officer. Over the years, he was promoted to vice president and then senior vice president. He was in charge of things like government relations and visitor services. From 2015 to 2021, Holzer led the Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute at Hunter College.
Becoming a Lincoln Expert
As a historian, Holzer has written, co-written, or edited 56 books. He has also written over 600 articles for magazines and journals. Many of his books have won awards. For example, his book Lincoln and the Power of the Press won the Gilder Lehrman Lincoln Prize and four other awards in 2015.
Holzer was a co-chairman of the United States Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission (ALBC) for nine years. President Bill Clinton appointed him to this role in 2000. He later became chairman of the ALBC's follow-up group, The Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Foundation. Holzer has also been involved with many other Lincoln and Civil War groups.
He was a script consultant for the Steven Spielberg movie, Lincoln. He also wrote the official companion book for young readers about the movie.
Holzer often appears on TV shows like C-SPAN's Washington Journal and The Today Show. He has also performed stage shows about Lincoln and other historical figures. In these shows, he combines old pictures with real historical words. Famous actors like Sam Waterston and Richard Dreyfuss have joined him in these performances. In 2005, President and Mrs. Bush hosted one of his "Lincoln Seen and Heard" shows at the White House. Holzer has also been featured in documentaries about Lincoln.
Holzer gives lectures all over the country. He has also helped create seven museum exhibitions. These include shows about Lincoln's art and his connection to New York. He also helped organize an exhibition of Lincoln's original Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. His stage programs have been performed at the White House and other important places like Lincoln Center and Ford's Theatre.
Books by Harold Holzer
Harold Holzer has written or edited many books about Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War. Here are some of them:
- 1984: The Lincoln Image: Abraham Lincoln and the Popular Print
- 1990: Lincoln on Democracy (with Mario M. Cuomo)
- 1990: The Lincoln Family Album
- 1993: The Lincoln-Douglas Debates: The First Complete, Unexpurgated Text
- 2000: Abraham Lincoln, The Writer (a children's book)
- 2004: The President is Shot! The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln
- 2004: Lincoln at Cooper Union: The Speech That Made Abraham Lincoln President
- 2008: Lincoln President-Elect: Abraham Lincoln and the Great Secession Winter, 1860-1861
- 2011: Father Abraham: Lincoln and His Sons
- 2012: Lincoln: How Abraham Lincoln Ended Slavery in America
- 2014: Lincoln and the Power of the Press: The War for Public Opinion
- 2019: Monument Man: The Life and Art of Daniel Chester French
- 2020: The Presidents vs. the Press: The Endless Battle between the White House and the Media—from the Founding Fathers to Fake News
Awards and Recognitions
Harold Holzer has received many awards for his work.
- In 2008, he received the National Humanities Medal from President George W. Bush.
- He also won the Lincoln Medal of Honor from the Lincoln Society of Springfield, Illinois, which is the state's highest honor.
- His book Lincoln at Cooper Union won a second-place Lincoln Prize in 2005.
- His book for young readers, Father Abraham: Lincoln and His Sons, won the first James Robertson Jr. Award for Civil War Children's Literature.
- In 2013, he wrote an essay about Lincoln and emancipation for President Barack Obama's re-inauguration program.
- His book Lincoln and the Power of the Press: The War for Public Opinion won several major awards in 2015. These included the Lincoln Prize, the Mark Lynton History Prize, and the Goldsmith Book Prize.
- In 2023, he received the Augustus Saint-Gaudens Medal for his biography of Daniel Chester French.
