David Herbert Donald
| David Herbert Donald | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 1, 1920 Goodman, Mississippi |
| Died | May 17, 2009 (aged 88) Boston, Massachusetts |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Historian, Harvard University |
| Known for | Two Pulitzer Prizes for biography, and 1995 biography of Abraham Lincoln |
David Herbert Donald (October 1, 1920 – May 17, 2009) was an American historian, best known for his acclaimed 1995 biography of Abraham Lincoln. He twice won the Pulitzer Prize for Biography for earlier works; he published more than 30 books on United States political and literary figures and the history of the American South.
David Herbert Donald was born in Goodman, Mississippi, a town in the center of Holmes County. The county's western border is formed by the Yazoo River and it is part of the Mississippi-Yazoo Delta.
Majoring in history and sociology, Donald earned his bachelor's degree from Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi. He earned his PhD in 1946 under the eminent, leading Lincoln scholar, James G. Randall at the University of Illinois. Randall as a mentor influenced Donald's life and career. He encouraged his protégé to write his dissertation on Abraham Lincoln's law partner, William Herndon. Donald adapted and published the dissertation as his first book, Lincoln's Herndon (1948).
After completing his doctorate, Donald taught at Columbia University, Johns Hopkins and, from 1973, Harvard University. He also taught at Smith College, the University of North Wales, Princeton University, University College London and served as Harmsworth Professor of American History at Oxford University. At Johns Hopkins, Columbia, and Harvard he trained dozens of graduate students, including Jean H. Baker, William J. Cooper, Jr., Michael Holt, Irwin Unger, and Ari Hoogenboom.
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