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Biography of Oscar HandlinName: Oscar HandlinBirth Date: September 29, 1915 Death Date: N/A Place of Birth: Brooklyn, New York, United States Nationality: American Gender: Male Occupations: historian, author Oscar Handlin Pulitizer Prize winner Oscar Handlin (born 1915) ranks as one of the most prolific and influential American historians of the twentieth century, with pioneering works in the fields of immigration history, ethnic history, and social history.Oscar Handlin was born on Sept. 29, 1915, in Brooklyn, New York City, the son of Russian Jewish immigrants. His father was involved in running a grocery store, a steam laundry, and real estate. Handlin decided to become an historian at the age of eight and began reading avidly, even while delivering groceries for his father. He graduated from Brooklyn College in 1934 after only three years, winning the Union League History Prize; one year later, he earned his master's degree at Harvard University. He had intended to study medieval history, but specialized in American history because he thought the person one studied with was more important than the field itself; the medievalist had retired, so Handlin wrote …showed first 150 words…
…showed last 150 words…was praised for its craftsmanship and for the testimony it provided of his influence on the historical profession. Still, there is no "Handlin school of history," nor did he try to form one. He likely will be most remembered especially for his abundant demonstrations of the importance of immigration and its role in the history of the United States. Further Reading A mid-career evaluation of Handlin is Maldwyn Jones's essay in Marcus Cunliffe and Robin W. Winks, eds., Pastmasters: Some Essays on American Historians(1969). He is also mentioned in Arthur M. Schlesinger, Sr., In Retrospect: The History of a Historian (1963). Handlin's work is considered in Bruce Stave, "A Conversation with Oscar Handlin," in The Making of Urban History(1977); and Stephen J. Whitfield, "Handlin's History," American Jewish History, Vol. 70, (December 1980); For an autobiography of his teaching at Harvard University, see Oscar Handlin, "A Career at Harvard," The American Scholar, Vol 65 (Winter 1996). |