Nell Irvin Painter facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nell Irvin Painter
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Nell Elizabeth Irvin
August 2, 1942 Houston, Texas, U.S.
|
| Alma mater | University of California at Berkeley University of California at Los Angeles Harvard University Rhode Island School of Design |
| Occupation | Historian Author |
| Employer | Princeton University (emerita) |
| Known for | African American Literature; American History; American Slavery |
| Spouse(s) | Glenn Shafer |
| Parents |
|
Nell Irvin Painter (born Nell Elizabeth Irvin on August 2, 1942) is an American historian. She is famous for her books about the history of the Southern United States in the 1800s. She used to be a professor at Princeton University. She also led important groups for historians, like the Organization of American Historians.
Contents
Early Life and Family Moves
Nell Irvin was born in Houston, Texas. Her parents were Dona Lolita McGruder and Frank Edward Irvin. Her mother had a college degree and taught in schools. Her father became a lab technician. He worked at the University of California, Berkeley.
When Nell was ten weeks old, her family moved. They went to Oakland, California. This move was part of the Great Migration. Millions of African Americans moved from the South to cities. They looked for jobs, especially on the West Coast. Many found work in industries related to defense.
Nell's Education Journey
Nell Painter went to public schools in Oakland, California. She graduated from Oakland Technical High School in 1959.
She earned her first college degree, a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), in 1964. She studied anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley. During her studies, she also spent a year in France. She learned about French medieval history there. Later, she studied in Ghana, Africa.
She continued her education and earned two Master of Arts (M.A.) degrees. One was from the University of California, Los Angeles. The other was from Harvard University. In 1974, she also earned her Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy) from Harvard. A Ph.D. is the highest university degree.
After she retired from teaching history, Nell Painter went back to school. She studied art at Rutgers University. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in art in 2009. Then, she earned a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in painting in 2011. This was from the Rhode Island School of Design. Her book, Old in Art School, tells about this experience.
Her Career as a Historian
After finishing her Ph.D., Nell Painter started teaching. She was a professor at the University of Pennsylvania. From 1980 to 1988, she taught history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
In 1988, she became a history professor at Princeton University. She also led Princeton's Program in African-American Studies. She was named the Edwards Professor of American History. She taught at Princeton until she retired in 2005.
Awards and Recognition
Nell Painter has received many honors. Several universities have given her special degrees. These include Dartmouth College, Wesleyan University, and Yale University. In 1986, she received a Candace Award. This award is given by the National Coalition of 100 Black Women.
Personal Life
In 1989, Nell Painter married Glenn Shafer. He is a statistician.
See also
In Spanish: Nell Irvin Painter para niños
