Douglas S. Freeman
Encyclopedia
Douglas Southall Freeman (May 16, 1886 – June 13, 1953) was an American
historian, biographer, newspaper editor, and author. He is best known for his multi-volume biographies of Robert E. Lee
and George Washington
, for which he was awarded two Pulitzer Prizes
.
, to Bettie Allen Hamner and Walker Burford Freeman, an insurance agent who had served four years in Robert E. Lee's
Army of Northern Virginia
. From childhood, Freeman exhibited an interest in Southern history. In Lynchburg, his family lived at 416 Main Street, near the home of Confederate
general Jubal Early. The family moved to the former Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia
in 1892 at the height of the monument commemoration movement
that memorialized Virginia's Robert E. Lee, J.E.B. Stuart
, and Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson.
In 1904, Freeman was awarded an AB degree
from Richmond College
, where he had been a member of the Phi Gamma Delta
fraternity. In 1908, at the age of 22, he earned a PhD
in history at Johns Hopkins University
in Baltimore. Unable to secure a position in academia, Freeman joined the staff of the Richmond Times-Dispatch
in 1909 and, in 1915, at the age of 29, he became editor of The Richmond News Leader
—a position he held for 34 years.
In 1911, Freeman came into possession of a cache of long-lost wartime communications between Robert E. Lee and Confederate president Jefferson Davis
. Freemen spent four years working on the documents, and in 1915 published Lee's Dispatches. The book was received enthusiastically by Civil War historians, and became an important primary source for Civil War scholars. Written between 2 June 1862 and 1 April 1865, Lee's letters to Davis revealed the general's strategy with clearer perspective, shed new light on some of Lee's decisions, and underscored his close and always cooperative relationship with Davis. In his Introduction, Freeman summarized seven major revelations contained in the letters. For example, the letters reveal that the Confederate high command in 1862 considered but rejected a bold proposal to strengthen Stonewall Jackson's army in the Shenandoah Valley and embark on a vigorous offensive campaign against the North—even at the expense of defending Richmond.
R. E. Lee: A Biography
Following the immediate critical success of Lee's Dispatches, Freeman was approached by New York publisher Charles Scribner's Sons
and invited to write a biography of Robert E. Lee. Freeman accepted, but chose to retained his position at The Richmond News Leader and work longer days to work on the biography. Freeman' research of Lee was exhaustive. He evaluated and cataloged every item about Lee, and reviewed records at West Point, the War Department, and material in private collections. In narrating the general's Civil War years, he used what came to be known as the "fog of war
" technique—providing readers only the limited information that Lee himself had at a given moment. This helped convey the confusion of war that Lee experienced, as well as the processes by which Lee grappled with problems and made decisions. R. E. Lee: A Biography was published in four volumes in 1934 and 1935. In its book review, The New York Times declared it "Lee complete for all time." Historian Dumas Malone wrote, "Great as my personal expectations were, the realization far surpassed them." In 1935, Freeman was awarded the Pulitzer Prize
for his four-volume biography.
Freeman's R. E. Lee: A Biography established the Virgina school of Civil War scholarship—an approach to writing Civil War history that concentrated on the Eastern Theater of the war, focused the narrative on generals over the common soldier, centered the analysis on military campaigns over social and political events, and treated his Confederate subjects with sympathy. This approach to writing Civil War history would lead some critics to label Freeman a "Lost Cause
" historian—an allusion to the literary and intellectual movement that sought to reconcile the traditional white society of the South to the defeat of the Confederate States of America
. It is true that Freeman greatly admired Lee and his contemporaries. But unlike Jubal Early and others in the Lost Cause school, Freeman's personal admiration of his subjects did not impact his conclusions. No significant statement of fact in all four volumes has ever been successfully challenged by modern historians. Freeman's R. E. Lee: A Biography remains the authoritative study on the Confederate general.
Lee's Lieutenants: A Study in Command
Following the critical success of R. E. Lee: A Biography, Freeman expanded his study of the Confederacy with the critically acclaimed three-volume Lee's Lieutenants: A Study in Command, published in 1942, 1943, and 1944. It presents a unique combination of military strategy, biography, and Civil War history, and shows how armies actually work. Published during World War II, it had a great influence on American military leaders and strategists. A few months after the conclusion of the war, Freeman was asked to join an official tour of American forces in Europe and Japan. Lee's Lieutenants: A Study in Command established Freeman as the preeminent military historian in the country, and led to close friendships with United States
generals George Marshall
and Dwight D. Eisenhower
.
George Washington
After completing his exhaustive studies of Lee, his generals, and the Confederate war effort, Freeman started work on a biography of George Washington. Applying the same approach of exhaustive research and writing narrative based on objective fact, Freeman completed the first two volumes titled, Young Washington, in 1948. The following year, he retired from journalism in order to complete his monumental work on Washington. George Washington Volume 3: Planter and Patriot and George Washington Volume 4: Leader of the Revolution were published in 1951. The following year, he published George Washington Volume 5: Victory with the help of France (1952). Freeman completed work on George Washington Volume 6: Patriot and President just before he died; it was published after his death in 1954. The concluding book George Washington Volume 7: First in Peace was written by Freeman's associates John Alexander Carroll and Mary Wells Ashworth, based on Freeman's original research. The final volume was published in 1957.
and World War II
. His editorials expressed a moderate approach to race relations, and in his editorials opposed the Byrd Organization
—a powerful statewide Democratic political machine run by United States Senator Harry F. Byrd
.
Freeman retired as editor of The Richmond News Leader on 25 June 1949. Years later, his obituary published in his former newspaper captured the scope of his editorial interests.
In addition to his forty-year career in journalism, Freeman became one of the first radio analysts in 1925. His twice daily radio broadcasts helped make him one of the most influential man in Virginia. From 1934 to 1941, he commuted weekly by air to New York City
to teach journalism at Columbia University
. He also taught as a lecturer at the United States Army War College for seven years, and served as Rector
of the University of Richmond
.
as he passed. Twice daily, he walked to a nearby radio studio, where he gave news broadcasts and discusssed the day's news. After his second broadcast, he'd drive home for a short nap and lunch, and then worked another five or six hours on his current historical project, with classical music—frequently the work of Joseph Haydn
—playing in the background.
Freeman was a devout Baptist who prayed daily in the small chapel he built in his home. Freeman acknowledged that his Christian faith played a central role throughout his life. Freeman was also a Virginian, and described himself as "deeply rooted in the soil of old Virginia." He believed in the importance of continuity, even in personal geography, once writing, "I think the American people lose a large part of the joy of life because they do not live for generations in the same place."
Freeman married Inez Virginia Goddin on 5 February 1914. They had three children: Mary Tyler, Anne Ballard, and James Douglas. Mary Tyler Freeman married longtime director of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Leslie Cheek Jr. and became a founder or influential officer of several important community organizations, as well as president of the Robert E. Lee Memorial Foundation.
. He was 67 years old. He was buried in Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia
.
Freeman's newspaper editorials and daily radio broadcasts made him one of the most influential men of Virginia. His analysis of the military campaigns of World War I
and World War II
brought him fame throughout the United States
—especially in military circles. Presidents and leading commanders such as Chester W. Nimitz, and generals George Marshall
, Douglas MacArthur
, and Dwight D. Eisenhower
sought his friendship and advice. Eisenhower would later indicate that it was Freeman who first persuaded him to think seriously about running for the presidency. In 1958, Freeman was posthumously awarded his second Pulitzer Prize
for his six-volume biography of George Washington.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
historian, biographer, newspaper editor, and author. He is best known for his multi-volume biographies of Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
and George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
, for which he was awarded two Pulitzer Prizes
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
.
Early life
Douglas Southall Freeman was born May 16, 1886 in Lynchburg, VirginiaLynchburg, Virginia
Lynchburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 75,568 as of 2010. Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the banks of the James River, Lynchburg is known as the "City of Seven Hills" or "The Hill City." Lynchburg was the only major city in...
, to Bettie Allen Hamner and Walker Burford Freeman, an insurance agent who had served four years in Robert E. Lee's
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
Army of Northern Virginia
Army of Northern Virginia
The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War, as well as the primary command structure of the Department of Northern Virginia. It was most often arrayed against the Union Army of the Potomac...
. From childhood, Freeman exhibited an interest in Southern history. In Lynchburg, his family lived at 416 Main Street, near the home of Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
general Jubal Early. The family moved to the former Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
in 1892 at the height of the monument commemoration movement
Monument Avenue
Monument Avenue, in Richmond, Virginia, is a premier example of the Grand American Avenue city planning style. The first monument, a statue of Robert E. Lee was erected in 1890. Between 1900 and 1925, Monument Avenue exploded with architecturally significant houses, churches and apartment buildings...
that memorialized Virginia's Robert E. Lee, J.E.B. Stuart
J.E.B. Stuart
James Ewell Brown "Jeb" Stuart was a U.S. Army officer from Virginia and a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War. He was known to his friends as "Jeb", from the initials of his given names. Stuart was a cavalry commander known for his mastery of reconnaissance and the use...
, and Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson.
In 1904, Freeman was awarded an AB degree
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from Richmond College
University of Richmond
The University of Richmond is a selective, private, nonsectarian, liberal arts university located on the border of the city of Richmond and Henrico County, Virginia. The University of Richmond is a primarily undergraduate, residential university with approximately 4,000 undergraduate and graduate...
, where he had been a member of the Phi Gamma Delta
Phi Gamma Delta
The international fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta is a collegiate social fraternity with 120 chapters and 18 colonies across the United States and Canada. It was founded at Jefferson College, Pennsylvania, in 1848, and its headquarters are located in Lexington, Kentucky, USA...
fraternity. In 1908, at the age of 22, he earned a PhD
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in history at Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
in Baltimore. Unable to secure a position in academia, Freeman joined the staff of the Richmond Times-Dispatch
Richmond Times-Dispatch
The Richmond Times-Dispatch is the primary daily newspaper in Richmond the capital of Virginia, United States, and is commonly considered the "newspaper of record" for events occurring in much of the state...
in 1909 and, in 1915, at the age of 29, he became editor of The Richmond News Leader
The Richmond News Leader
The Richmond News Leader was an afternoon daily newspaper published in Richmond, Virginia from 1888 to 1992. During much of its run, it was the largest newspaper source in Richmond, competing with the morning Richmond Times-Dispatch. By the late 1960s, afternoon papers had been steadily losing...
—a position he held for 34 years.
Writing career
Lee's DispatchesIn 1911, Freeman came into possession of a cache of long-lost wartime communications between Robert E. Lee and Confederate president Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Finis Davis , also known as Jeff Davis, was an American statesman and leader of the Confederacy during the American Civil War, serving as President for its entire history. He was born in Kentucky to Samuel and Jane Davis...
. Freemen spent four years working on the documents, and in 1915 published Lee's Dispatches. The book was received enthusiastically by Civil War historians, and became an important primary source for Civil War scholars. Written between 2 June 1862 and 1 April 1865, Lee's letters to Davis revealed the general's strategy with clearer perspective, shed new light on some of Lee's decisions, and underscored his close and always cooperative relationship with Davis. In his Introduction, Freeman summarized seven major revelations contained in the letters. For example, the letters reveal that the Confederate high command in 1862 considered but rejected a bold proposal to strengthen Stonewall Jackson's army in the Shenandoah Valley and embark on a vigorous offensive campaign against the North—even at the expense of defending Richmond.
R. E. Lee: A Biography
Following the immediate critical success of Lee's Dispatches, Freeman was approached by New York publisher Charles Scribner's Sons
Charles Scribner's Sons
Charles Scribner's Sons, or simply Scribner, is an American publisher based in New York City, known for publishing a number of American authors including Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Kurt Vonnegut, Stephen King, Robert A. Heinlein, Thomas Wolfe, George Santayana, John Clellon...
and invited to write a biography of Robert E. Lee. Freeman accepted, but chose to retained his position at The Richmond News Leader and work longer days to work on the biography. Freeman' research of Lee was exhaustive. He evaluated and cataloged every item about Lee, and reviewed records at West Point, the War Department, and material in private collections. In narrating the general's Civil War years, he used what came to be known as the "fog of war
Fog of war
The fog of war is a term used to describe the uncertainty in situation awareness experienced by participants in military operations. The term seeks to capture the uncertainty regarding own capability, adversary capability, and adversary intent during an engagement, operation, or campaign...
" technique—providing readers only the limited information that Lee himself had at a given moment. This helped convey the confusion of war that Lee experienced, as well as the processes by which Lee grappled with problems and made decisions. R. E. Lee: A Biography was published in four volumes in 1934 and 1935. In its book review, The New York Times declared it "Lee complete for all time." Historian Dumas Malone wrote, "Great as my personal expectations were, the realization far surpassed them." In 1935, Freeman was awarded the Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
for his four-volume biography.
Freeman's R. E. Lee: A Biography established the Virgina school of Civil War scholarship—an approach to writing Civil War history that concentrated on the Eastern Theater of the war, focused the narrative on generals over the common soldier, centered the analysis on military campaigns over social and political events, and treated his Confederate subjects with sympathy. This approach to writing Civil War history would lead some critics to label Freeman a "Lost Cause
Lost Cause of the Confederacy
The Lost Cause is the name commonly given to an American literary and intellectual movement that sought to reconcile the traditional white society of the U.S. South to the defeat of the Confederate States of America in the American Civil War of 1861–1865...
" historian—an allusion to the literary and intellectual movement that sought to reconcile the traditional white society of the South to the defeat of the Confederate States of America
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
. It is true that Freeman greatly admired Lee and his contemporaries. But unlike Jubal Early and others in the Lost Cause school, Freeman's personal admiration of his subjects did not impact his conclusions. No significant statement of fact in all four volumes has ever been successfully challenged by modern historians. Freeman's R. E. Lee: A Biography remains the authoritative study on the Confederate general.
Lee's Lieutenants: A Study in Command
Following the critical success of R. E. Lee: A Biography, Freeman expanded his study of the Confederacy with the critically acclaimed three-volume Lee's Lieutenants: A Study in Command, published in 1942, 1943, and 1944. It presents a unique combination of military strategy, biography, and Civil War history, and shows how armies actually work. Published during World War II, it had a great influence on American military leaders and strategists. A few months after the conclusion of the war, Freeman was asked to join an official tour of American forces in Europe and Japan. Lee's Lieutenants: A Study in Command established Freeman as the preeminent military historian in the country, and led to close friendships with United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
generals George Marshall
George Marshall
George Catlett Marshall was an American military leader, Chief of Staff of the Army, Secretary of State, and the third Secretary of Defense...
and Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
.
George Washington
After completing his exhaustive studies of Lee, his generals, and the Confederate war effort, Freeman started work on a biography of George Washington. Applying the same approach of exhaustive research and writing narrative based on objective fact, Freeman completed the first two volumes titled, Young Washington, in 1948. The following year, he retired from journalism in order to complete his monumental work on Washington. George Washington Volume 3: Planter and Patriot and George Washington Volume 4: Leader of the Revolution were published in 1951. The following year, he published George Washington Volume 5: Victory with the help of France (1952). Freeman completed work on George Washington Volume 6: Patriot and President just before he died; it was published after his death in 1954. The concluding book George Washington Volume 7: First in Peace was written by Freeman's associates John Alexander Carroll and Mary Wells Ashworth, based on Freeman's original research. The final volume was published in 1957.
Newspaper, radio, and teaching careers
Freeman's considerable literary achievements have overshadowed his career as editor of The Richmond News Leader. Between 1915 and 1949, he wrote an estimated 600,000 words of editorial copy every year. He earned a national reputation among military scholars for his analyses of operations during World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. His editorials expressed a moderate approach to race relations, and in his editorials opposed the Byrd Organization
Byrd Organization
The Byrd Organization was a political machine led by former Governor and U.S. Senator Harry F. Byrd, Sr. that dominated Virginia politics for much of the middle portion of the 20th century...
—a powerful statewide Democratic political machine run by United States Senator Harry F. Byrd
Harry F. Byrd
Harry Flood Byrd, Sr. of Berryville in Clarke County, Virginia, was an American newspaper publisher, farmer and politician. He was a descendant of one of the First Families of Virginia...
.
Freeman retired as editor of The Richmond News Leader on 25 June 1949. Years later, his obituary published in his former newspaper captured the scope of his editorial interests.
In addition to his forty-year career in journalism, Freeman became one of the first radio analysts in 1925. His twice daily radio broadcasts helped make him one of the most influential man in Virginia. From 1934 to 1941, he commuted weekly by air to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to teach journalism at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
. He also taught as a lecturer at the United States Army War College for seven years, and served as Rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of the University of Richmond
University of Richmond
The University of Richmond is a selective, private, nonsectarian, liberal arts university located on the border of the city of Richmond and Henrico County, Virginia. The University of Richmond is a primarily undergraduate, residential university with approximately 4,000 undergraduate and graduate...
.
Personal life
Freeman's work ethic was legendary. Throughout his life, he kept a demanding schedule that allowed him to accomplish a great deal in his two full-time careers, as a journalist and as an historian. When at home, he rose at three every morning and drove to his newspaper office—saluting Robert E. Lee's monument on Monument AvenueMonument Avenue
Monument Avenue, in Richmond, Virginia, is a premier example of the Grand American Avenue city planning style. The first monument, a statue of Robert E. Lee was erected in 1890. Between 1900 and 1925, Monument Avenue exploded with architecturally significant houses, churches and apartment buildings...
as he passed. Twice daily, he walked to a nearby radio studio, where he gave news broadcasts and discusssed the day's news. After his second broadcast, he'd drive home for a short nap and lunch, and then worked another five or six hours on his current historical project, with classical music—frequently the work of Joseph Haydn
Joseph Haydn
Franz Joseph Haydn , known as Joseph Haydn , was an Austrian composer, one of the most prolific and prominent composers of the Classical period. He is often called the "Father of the Symphony" and "Father of the String Quartet" because of his important contributions to these forms...
—playing in the background.
Freeman was a devout Baptist who prayed daily in the small chapel he built in his home. Freeman acknowledged that his Christian faith played a central role throughout his life. Freeman was also a Virginian, and described himself as "deeply rooted in the soil of old Virginia." He believed in the importance of continuity, even in personal geography, once writing, "I think the American people lose a large part of the joy of life because they do not live for generations in the same place."
Freeman married Inez Virginia Goddin on 5 February 1914. They had three children: Mary Tyler, Anne Ballard, and James Douglas. Mary Tyler Freeman married longtime director of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Leslie Cheek Jr. and became a founder or influential officer of several important community organizations, as well as president of the Robert E. Lee Memorial Foundation.
Death and legacy
Douglas Southall Freeman died of a heart attack on June 13, 1953 at his home in Westbourne, VirginiaPetersburg, Virginia
Petersburg is an independent city in Virginia, United States located on the Appomattox River and south of the state capital city of Richmond. The city's population was 32,420 as of 2010, predominantly of African-American ethnicity...
. He was 67 years old. He was buried in Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
.
Freeman's newspaper editorials and daily radio broadcasts made him one of the most influential men of Virginia. His analysis of the military campaigns of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
brought him fame throughout the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
—especially in military circles. Presidents and leading commanders such as Chester W. Nimitz, and generals George Marshall
George Marshall
George Catlett Marshall was an American military leader, Chief of Staff of the Army, Secretary of State, and the third Secretary of Defense...
, Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
, and Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
sought his friendship and advice. Eisenhower would later indicate that it was Freeman who first persuaded him to think seriously about running for the presidency. In 1958, Freeman was posthumously awarded his second Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
for his six-volume biography of George Washington.
Honors and awards
- 1935 Pulitzer PrizePulitzer PrizeThe Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
for R.E. Lee: A Biography (4 volumes) - 1958 Pulitzer Prize (posthumous) for George Washington: A Biography (6 volumes)
- Douglas S. Freeman High SchoolDouglas S. Freeman High SchoolDouglas S. Freeman High School is a Henrico County high school located in western Henrico County, Virginia.-History:The school is named for Douglas S. Freeman , a Virginia author, newspaper editor, historian, and pioneering radio broadcaster. The school opened in 1954, slightly more than one year...
in Henrico CountyHenrico County, VirginiaHenrico is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. As of 2010, Henrico was home to 306,935 people. It is located in the Richmond-Petersburg region and is a portion of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area...
named in his honor - University of RichmondUniversity of RichmondThe University of Richmond is a selective, private, nonsectarian, liberal arts university located on the border of the city of Richmond and Henrico County, Virginia. The University of Richmond is a primarily undergraduate, residential university with approximately 4,000 undergraduate and graduate...
Freeman Hall named in his honor - Virginia Historical Marker Q-6-17, located on Rivermont Avenue in Lynchburg, VirginiaLynchburg, VirginiaLynchburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 75,568 as of 2010. Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the banks of the James River, Lynchburg is known as the "City of Seven Hills" or "The Hill City." Lynchburg was the only major city in...
commemorates Freeman's life and work
Further reading
- Cheek, Mary Tyler Freeman. "Reflections" in Virginia Magazine of History and Biography 1986 94(1): 25-39. ISSN 0042-6636.
- Freeman, Douglas Southall. R. E. Lee: A Biography (4 volumes). New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1934.
- Johnson, David E. Douglas Southall Freeman. Pelican Publishing, 2002. ISBN 978-1589800212.
- Smith, Stuart W. Douglas Southall Freeman on Leadership. White Mane, 1993. ISBN 978-0942597486.