James Phinney Baxter III facts for kids
James Phinney Baxter III (born February 15, 1893, died June 17, 1975) was an important American historian and educator. He was known for his smart ideas and for leading colleges. He won a special award called the Pulitzer Prize for History in 1947 for his book Scientists Against Time. This book was about how scientists helped during World War II. He also wrote another book about early warships called The Introduction of the Ironclad Warship.
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About James Phinney Baxter III
Early Life and Education
James Phinney Baxter III was born in Portland, Maine. His grandfather, also named James Phinney Baxter, was a historian and mayor. His uncle, Percival Proctor Baxter, was a governor of Maine.
Young James went to Portland High School and Phillips Academy. He then studied at Williams College. He was a top student there and earned high honors. Later, he earned more degrees from Williams and Harvard University. He got his Ph.D. from Harvard in 1926.
A Career in Education
Baxter started his teaching career at Colorado College. After that, he taught at Harvard University. He quickly became a full professor there. He also became the first leader of Adams House at Harvard.
In 1937, he became the president of Williams College. He led Williams College for many years, until 1961.
Helping During World War II
During World War II, James Phinney Baxter III took a break from Williams College to help his country. He worked for the government, helping to organize important information. He was also the director of the Office of Strategic Services for a short time. This office was important for gathering information during the war.
Later, he became the official historian for the Office of Scientific Research and Development. This is where he wrote his famous book, Scientists Against Time. The book explained how scientists and their discoveries played a big part in winning the war. For this important book, he won the Pulitzer Prize for History in 1947.
Baxter was also a member of the board of trustees for the World Peace Foundation. He passed away in 1975 in Williamstown, Massachusetts.
