Alfred de Grazia
A fiercely independent political scientist who pioneered digital social analysis and championed controversial cosmic theories.
1919–2014 (age 95)·American political scientist·Birthday: December 29·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Alfred de Grazia was an intellectual maverick whose career defied easy categorization. Trained at the University of Chicago, he established himself as a rigorous political scientist, making early and significant contributions to behavioral political science and the use of quantitative data. In the 1950s, he was among the very first to employ computers for social network analysis, a visionary step. His academic path took a sharp turn following his ardent, lifelong defense of Immanuel Velikovsky's catastrophism theories, which posited that ancient myths recorded real planetary disruptions. This advocacy marginalized him in mainstream academia but fueled a prodigious output of books and the founding of his own journal. De Grazia remained, until the end, a radical thinker committed to challenging established paradigms across science, politics, and history.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Alfred was born in 1919, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Alfred Was Born
The biggest hits of 1919
Alfred's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1919Born
Treaty of Versailles signed; Prohibition ratified
President: Woodrow Wilson
1924Started school
First Winter Olympics held in Chamonix, France
President: Calvin Coolidge"It Had to Be You" — Isham Jones
1932Became a teenager
Amelia Earhart flies solo across the Atlantic
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Night and Day" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Grand Hotel
1935Could drive
Social Security Act signed into law
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,450President: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Cheek to Cheek" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Mutiny on the Bounty
1937Could vote
Hindenburg disaster; Golden Gate Bridge opens
Gas: $0.20/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" — Ella FitzgeraldBest Picture: The Life of Emile Zola
1940Turned 21
The Blitz: Germany bombs London
Gas: $0.18/galHome: $2,938Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I'll Never Smile Again" — Tommy DorseyBest Picture: Rebecca
1949Turned 30
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1959Turned 40
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1969Turned 50
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1979Turned 60
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1989Turned 70
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 80
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2014Died at 95
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
Key Achievements
- Pioneered the use of computer-based social network analysis in political science during the 1950s.
- Founded and edited the interdisciplinary journal *American Behavioral Scientist*.
- Authored over 50 books on diverse subjects including political theory, quantitive methods, and Velikovskian catastrophism.
- Developed the concept of the 'personal digital archive' long before the digital age became mainstream.
Did You Know?
He served as a psychological warfare officer in the U.S. Army during World War II.
De Grazia ran for U.S. Congress in New York in 1954 as a Democratic candidate.
He was the founder of the Université de Théologie in Switzerland.
His son, Justin de Grazia, is a well-known music video and commercial director.
“The task of the intellectual is to accumulate knowledge and to distribute it.”
