John T. Cunningham facts for kids

John T. Cunningham (born June 26, 1915 – died June 7, 2012) was an American journalist, writer, and historian. He wrote many books about the history of his home state, New Jersey. People often called him "New Jersey's popular historian." His famous book, This is New Jersey, first came out in 1953 and is still being printed today! John Cunningham also helped make several documentaries and gave many talks about history.

John Cunningham's Early Life & Education

John Cunningham was born in Newark, New Jersey, on June 26, 1915. He was one of eight children. His father, Guy Cunningham, was an expert at fixing radios. John grew up in the Brookside area of Mendham Township, New Jersey, which is near Morristown.

He went to Morristown High School and graduated in 1932. Later, he was able to pay for college and graduated from Drew University in 1938.

Starting His Career as a Journalist

After college, John Cunningham worked for a short time at the Morristown Record newspaper. He had already been writing articles for them since high school. In 1939, he got a job at the Newark News.

During World War II, he served as a captain in the Army Air Corps. After the war, in 1946, he returned to the Newark News. He stayed there until 1963. At that point, he decided to become a full-time writer and publisher.

Becoming a Well-Known Historian

John Cunningham started writing about history while he was still working at the Newark News. Around 1947, he was given a special column called "Let's Explore." He once said that he didn't plan to write books or become a historian. However, he became very respected as both a historian and a writer.

He proudly stated, "I doubt if there is a community in this state that I couldn't tell you about." He saw himself more as a journalist than a historian. He believed journalists approach topics with an open mind. Historians, he thought, sometimes look for facts to prove a point they already have.

The New York Times newspaper noted that John Cunningham's books were not like academic textbooks. They often had many pictures and few footnotes. But, they were clear, full of energy, and highly regarded by readers.

In the 1970s, John and his wife started their own company called Afton Publishing. He also helped create the New Jersey Historical Commission. He lived in Florham Park, New Jersey, and kept working there. John Cunningham passed away on June 7, 2012, at a hospital in Morristown.

Selected Books by John T. Cunningham

John Cunningham wrote many books, mostly about New Jersey history. Here are some of his well-known works:

New Jersey History Books

• Baseball In New Jersey: The Game of History (1995)
• Beginnings (1962)
• Capsules of New Jersey History (1981)
• Chatham: At the Crossing of the Fishawack (1966)
• Colonial New Jersey (1964)
• Garden State: The Story of Agriculture in New Jersey (1955)
• Made in New Jersey (1954)
• Newark (1966)
• New Jersey, America's Main Road (1966)
• The New Jersey Sampler: Historic Tales of Old New Jersey (1964)
• New Jersey's Five Who Signed, about the Declaration of Independence (1975)
• The New Jersey Shore (1958)
• Railroading in New Jersey (1952)
• This Is New Jersey (1953)
• Thomas Edison: They Called Him Wizard (1979)
• University in the Forest: The Story of Drew University (1972)

Textbooks for Students

John Cunningham also wrote textbooks to help students learn about history:

• New Jersey: A Mirror on America, for high school (updated in 2006)
• On the Go in New Jersey, for elementary school (updated in 2008)
• On the Go in New York, for elementary school (1990)
• On the Go in Pennsylvania, for elementary school (1991)

Photo Essay Books

He worked with photographer Walter Choroszewski on several books that combined photos and essays:

• The Garden State in Bloom (1993)
• New Jersey: A Scenic Discovery (1981)
• New Jersey: A Photographic Journey (1987)

Documentary Series

John Cunningham also helped create a documentary series called New Jersey Legacy.

See also

• J. Owen Grundy