Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr.
A Pulitzer-winning historian who shaped America's view of its own political soul, from the New Deal to the imperial presidency.
1917–2007 (age 90)·American intellectual·Birthday: October 15·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Arthur Schlesinger Jr. wielded his typewriter as both a scholar and a partisan, a dual role that defined 20th-century American intellectual life. He burst onto the scene young, winning his first Pulitzer Prize at 28 for 'The Age of Jackson,' a work that reframed the president as a proto-modern liberal. Schlesinger was never content to merely observe history; he helped make it, serving as a speechwriter and ardent insider in Adlai Stevenson's campaigns before becoming a special assistant to President John F. Kennedy. His account of that administration, 'A Thousand Days,' won him a second Pulitzer and cemented the Camelot mythos. In later decades, from the tumult of the 1960s to the Reagan era, his voice remained potent, warning against the 'imperial presidency' and defending the vital center of liberal democracy. He was a man of the clubby Eastern establishment who constantly argued for progressive change.
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.
Arthur was born in 1917, 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 Arthur Was Born
The biggest hits of 1917
#1 Movie
Cleopatra
Arthur's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1917Born
Russian Revolution overthrows the tsar; US enters WWI
President: Woodrow Wilson
1922Started school
King Tut's tomb discovered in Egypt
President: Warren G. Harding"April Showers" — Al Jolson
1930Became a teenager
Pluto discovered
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,510President: Herbert Hoover"Body and Soul" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: All Quiet on the Western Front
1933Could drive
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
1935Could vote
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
1938Turned 21
Kristallnacht and the escalation toward WWII
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $2,850Min wage: $0.25/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Begin the Beguine" — Artie ShawBest Picture: You Can't Take It with You
1947Turned 30
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1957Turned 40
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1967Turned 50
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1977Turned 60
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1987Turned 70
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1997Turned 80
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Died at 90
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
Key Achievements
- Won the Pulitzer Prize for History twice, for 'The Age of Jackson' (1946) and 'A Thousand Days' (1966).
- Served as a special assistant and in-house historian to President John F. Kennedy from 1961 to 1963.
- Authored the influential critique 'The Imperial Presidency,' which examined the expansion of executive power.
- Was a founding member of Americans for Democratic Action and helped define post-war American liberalism.
Did You Know?
He was born on the same day as President John F. Kennedy: October 15, 1917.
He initially opposed U.S. entry into World War II and was a member of the America First Committee.
He played himself in a cameo appearance in the 1991 film 'The Inner Circle,' about Stalin's projectionist.
His father, Arthur M. Schlesinger Sr., was also a prominent Harvard historian.
“The most important political office is that of the private citizen.”
