Roy Franklin Nichols
Encyclopedia
Roy Franklin Nichols was an American historian
and a Pulitzer Prize
winner. He won the Pulitzer Prize for History
for The Disruption of American Democracy
.
, to Franklin Coriell and Annie Cairns Nichols. He graduated from Rutgers University
in 1918. He completed a Master of Arts
degree from Rutgers in 1919. He was a fellow at Columbia University
from 1920 to 1921, and an instructor in history at Columbia from 1921 to 1925. He completed a PhD
degree from Columbia in 1923. In 1925 he was appointed assistant professor of history at the University of Pennsylvania
. From 1930 to 1966, he was professor of history at Pennsylvania. He also was Dean of Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (1952–66), and Vice Provost at Pennsylvania (1953–66). He was a visiting professor at Columbia (1944–45), Pitt Professor of American History and Institutions
at Cambridge University
(1948–49), and Stanford University
(1952). In 1962 he was Fulbright lecturer in India and Japan.
He was President of Middle States Association of History Teachers (1932–33); President of Pennsylvania Federation of Historical Societies (1940–42); Member of Pennsylvania Historical Commission (1940–43); Member of Council, American Historical Association
(1943–47); Chairman of Social Science Research Council (1949–53); President of Association of Graduate Schools of the American Association of Universities (1963–64); Vice President of American Historical Association (1964–65); President of American Historical Association (1965–66); and, Chairman of Council of Graduate Schools in the United States.
He was a Baptist
.
for The Disruption of American Democracy
in 1949. His other publications include The Democratic Machine, 1850-1854 (1923), Advance Agents of American Destiny (1956), and The Invention of American Political Parties (1967). He received Haney Medal for Literary Excellence in 1961 and Athenaeum Literary Award
in 1961. He has also received a number of honorary degree
s from universities such as Rutgers University and Cambridge University.
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
and a 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...
winner. He won the Pulitzer Prize for History
Pulitzer Prize for History
The Pulitzer Prize for History has been awarded since 1917 for a distinguished book upon the history of the United States. Many history books have also been awarded the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction and Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography...
for The Disruption of American Democracy
The Disruption of American Democracy
The Disruption of American Democracy is a book published by American historian Roy Franklin Nichols in 1948. Nichols won the Pulitzer Prize for History for the book in 1949....
.
Biography
Nichols was born in Newark, New JerseyNewark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
, to Franklin Coriell and Annie Cairns Nichols. He graduated from Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
in 1918. He completed a Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
degree from Rutgers in 1919. He was a fellow 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...
from 1920 to 1921, and an instructor in history at Columbia from 1921 to 1925. He completed 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...
degree from Columbia in 1923. In 1925 he was appointed assistant professor of history at the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
. From 1930 to 1966, he was professor of history at Pennsylvania. He also was Dean of Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (1952–66), and Vice Provost at Pennsylvania (1953–66). He was a visiting professor at Columbia (1944–45), Pitt Professor of American History and Institutions
Pitt Professor of American History and Institutions
The Pitt Professorship of American History and Institutions was established on 5 February 1944 from a sum of £44,000 received from the Syndics of the Cambridge University Press in 1943 and augmented by a further £5,000 in 1946...
at Cambridge University
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
(1948–49), and Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
(1952). In 1962 he was Fulbright lecturer in India and Japan.
He was President of Middle States Association of History Teachers (1932–33); President of Pennsylvania Federation of Historical Societies (1940–42); Member of Pennsylvania Historical Commission (1940–43); Member of Council, American Historical Association
American Historical Association
The American Historical Association is the oldest and largest society of historians and professors of history in the United States. Founded in 1884, the association promotes historical studies, the teaching of history, and the preservation of and access to historical materials...
(1943–47); Chairman of Social Science Research Council (1949–53); President of Association of Graduate Schools of the American Association of Universities (1963–64); Vice President of American Historical Association (1964–65); President of American Historical Association (1965–66); and, Chairman of Council of Graduate Schools in the United States.
He was a Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
.
Publications, prizes and honorary degrees
Nichols published a number of books on American history and politics. He won the Pulitzer Prize for HistoryPulitzer Prize for History
The Pulitzer Prize for History has been awarded since 1917 for a distinguished book upon the history of the United States. Many history books have also been awarded the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction and Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography...
for The Disruption of American Democracy
The Disruption of American Democracy
The Disruption of American Democracy is a book published by American historian Roy Franklin Nichols in 1948. Nichols won the Pulitzer Prize for History for the book in 1949....
in 1949. His other publications include The Democratic Machine, 1850-1854 (1923), Advance Agents of American Destiny (1956), and The Invention of American Political Parties (1967). He received Haney Medal for Literary Excellence in 1961 and Athenaeum Literary Award
Athenaeum Literary Award
Athenaeum Literary Award is an American literary award hosted by the Athenaeum of Philadelphia, a special collections library. It is award to authors who are "bona fide residents of Philadelphia or Pennsylvania living within a radius of 30 miles of City Hall". Eligible works are of general fiction...
in 1961. He has also received a number of honorary degree
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
s from universities such as Rutgers University and Cambridge University.