Richard Bushman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Richard Bushman
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Bushman in the 2016 film By Study and Also by Faith
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| Born |
Richard Lyman Bushman
June 20, 1931 Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.
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| Education | Harvard University (BA, MA, PhD) |
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Notable work
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Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling (2005) |
| Spouse(s) |
Claudia Lauper Bushman
(m. 1955) |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | Columbia University |
| Thesis | Government and Society in Connecticut, 1690–1760 (1961) |
| Doctoral advisor | Oscar Handlin |
| Other academic advisors | Bernard Bailyn |
Richard Lyman Bushman (born June 20, 1931) is an American historian. He is a professor emeritus of history at Columbia University. This means he is a retired professor who still holds an honored title. He has also taught at other famous universities like Harvard University.
Bushman is well-known for writing Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling. This book is a biography about Joseph Smith, who started the Latter Day Saint movement. Richard Bushman also helped edit the Joseph Smith Papers Project. Many people call him one of the most important scholars of American religious history. In 2012, a special teaching position was created in his honor at the University of Virginia.
Contents
About Richard Bushman's Life
Richard L. Bushman was born on June 20, 1931, in Salt Lake City, Utah. His father, Ted Bushman, worked in fashion and advertising. His mother, Dorothy Lyman, was a secretary and homemaker. Richard grew up as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. When he was young, his family moved to Portland, Oregon.
His Education and Family
After finishing high school in 1949, Bushman went to Harvard University. He took two years off from his studies to serve as a Latter-day Saint missionary. He worked in the northeastern United States during this time. In 1955, he graduated from Harvard with a degree in history.
In August 1955, Bushman married Claudia Lauper Bushman, who is also a historian. They raised six children together. Richard continued his studies at Harvard. He earned his Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in American history. He studied with a famous early American historian named Bernard Bailyn.
His Teaching Career
Bushman taught at Brigham Young University from 1960 to 1968. During this time, he also studied history and psychology at Brown University. In 1968, he won the Bancroft Prize for his book From Puritan to Yankee. This book was based on his doctoral research.
He later taught at Boston University and the University of Delaware. In 1989, he was asked to teach American colonial history at Columbia University. In 1992, he became the first Gouverneur Morris Professor of History there. He retired from Columbia in 2001 to finish writing his book about Joseph Smith.
From 2008 to 2011, Bushman was a professor at Claremont Graduate University. He also worked on the Joseph Smith Papers Project. This project helps organize and publish historical documents.
Awards and Special Honors
Richard Bushman's work includes studies of early American history. He also studies American religious history and the early history of the Latter-day Saint Church.
Recognized for His Work
In 1968, his book From Puritan to Yankee won the Bancroft Prize. This is a very important award for books about American history. He has also received other awards, like the Phi Alpha Theta prize. His book Joseph Smith and the Beginnings of Mormonism won the best biography award from the Mormon History Association in 1985.
Bushman has received many special research grants. He also served as the president of the Mormon History Association from 1985 to 1986. In 2011, a special meeting was held to celebrate his important work.
Rough Stone Rolling Book
Bushman's book Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling is a biography of Joseph Smith. Joseph Smith was the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement. Many people call this book the "crowning achievement" of the "new Mormon history."
Success of the Book
Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling sold over 100,000 copies. It also won many awards, including the Evans Biography Award. It won the Mormon History Association's Best Book award in 2006. The book received many good reviews. Some people said it tried to balance respect for Joseph Smith with historical facts.
His Religious Beliefs
Richard Bushman grew up in a family that practiced the Latter-day Saint faith. When he went to Harvard University, he found it hard to talk about his religious beliefs. Some people at Harvard thought his religion was not serious.
His Faith Journey
Bushman wondered if there was enough proof to believe in God. He started to feel unsure about his faith. But he decided to take a break from college to serve as a missionary for his church. He worked in New England and Atlantic Canada. During this time, he became sure that the Book of Mormon was true.
He later said that even though he had doubts, he still went on his mission. He realized his problem was not a lack of faith. It was finding the right words to explain his faith to others.
Serving in His Church
Bushman has held many leadership roles in his church. He has been a seminary teacher, a bishop, and a stake president. He has also served as a stake patriarch.
When asked why he studies the religion he belongs to, Bushman said it's like other scholars. He believes people can study subjects they care deeply about. He feels having a personal connection to a topic can be helpful.
See also
- AML Awards
- Historians of the Latter Day Saint movement
- Mormonism and history
