David Levering Lewis
Encyclopedia
David Levering Lewis is the Julius Silver University Professor and Professor of History at New York University
. He is twice winner of the Pulitzer Prize
for Biography or Autobiography
, for part one and part two of his biography of W. E. B. Du Bois (in 1994 and 2001, respectively). He is the first author to win two Pulitzer Prizes for biography for back-to-back volumes.
The author of eight books and editor of two more, Lewis's field is comparative history with special focus on twentieth-century United States
social history and civil rights. His interests include nineteenth-century Africa
, twentieth-century France
, and Islamic Spain.
. His father, John Henry Lewis, Sr., graduated from Yale University
School of Divinity and received an M.A. in sociology
from the University of Chicago
, and was principal of Paul Laurence Dunbar High School. His mother taught high school math. Lewis attended parochial school in Little Rock, then Wilberforce Preparatory School and Xenia High School
in Ohio
. When the family moved to Atlanta, Georgia
, Lewis attended Booker T. Washington High School his junior year until his early admission at age fifteen to Fisk University
in Nashville, Tennessee
. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1956.
Lewis briefly attended the University of Michigan Law School
but left to attend Columbia University
, where he earned his M.A.
in history
in 1959. In 1962, Lewis was awarded a Ph.D.
in modern European and French history from the London School of Economics
.
In 1961-1962, Lewis served in the United States Army
as a psychiatric technician and private first class
in Landstuhl, Germany.
In 1963, he lectured on medieval history at the University of Ghana
. Lewis taught at Morgan State University
, the University of Notre Dame
, Howard University
, and the University of the District of Columbia from 1970 to 1980 as associate and full professor. His Prisoners of Honor: The Dreyfus Affair appeared in 1974; The Bicentennial History of the District of Columbia appeared in 1976; and When Harlem Was in Vogue in 1980. Lewis was professor of history at University of California at San Diego before joining Rutgers University
in 1985 as the Martin Luther King Jr. Professor of History. Lewis produced his Pulitzer Prize-winning biographies of W. E. B. Du Bois during his 18-year tenure at Rutgers. He completed research for his first Du Bois volume and finished writing The Race to Fashoda: European Colonialism and African Resistance in the Scramble for Africa, which appeared in 1987. In spring semester 2001, Lewis was distinguished visiting professor in Harvard's history department. In 2003, Lewis was appointed and is currently the Julius Silver University Professor and Professor of History at New York University
.
Lewis is the author of the first academic biography of Martin Luther King, Jr., appearing less than two years after the subject's assassination. Besides the two Pulitzer Prizes for his biographies of W. E. B. Du Bois, he is also the 1994 winner of the Bancroft Prize
and the Francis Parkman Prize
. He has received fellowships from the Center for Advanced Study of Behavioral Sciences, the National Humanities Center
, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
, the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation, the American Philosophical Society
, and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. He is a former trustee of the National Humanities Center, former commissioner of the National Portrait Gallery
, and a former senator of Phi Beta Kappa.
Lewis appeared as a historical expert in the 1999 film New York: A Documentary Film
, directed by Ric Burns
for PBS
. He was president of the Society of American Historians in 2002, and is a board member of the magazine The Crisis
, published by the NAACP. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
and the American Philosophical Society
. and was an Ellen Maria Gorrissen Fellow at the American Academy in Berlin
, Germany, in spring 2008. President Barack Obama awarded the 2009 National Humanities Medal at the White House on February 25, 2010. Lewis delivered the inaugural convocation lecture, September 19, 2010, at New York University Abu Dhabi.
Lewis lives in Manhattan and Stanfordville, New York
with his wife, Ruth Ann Stewart, Clinical Professor of Public Policy at New York University
. Dr. Lewis has three adult children from his first marriage to Sharon Lynn Siskind: Eric Levering Lewis, Allison Lillian Lewis and Jason Bradwell Lewis along with a son-in-law Michael John Wilson and two granddaughters Marissa Lynn Wilson and Natalie Elise Wilson. Lewis also has a stepdaughter, Allegra Stewart.
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
. He is twice winner of 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 Biography or Autobiography
Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography
The Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography has been presented since 1917 for a distinguished biography or autobiography by an American author.-1910s:* 1917: Julia Ward Howe by Laura E...
, for part one and part two of his biography of W. E. B. Du Bois (in 1994 and 2001, respectively). He is the first author to win two Pulitzer Prizes for biography for back-to-back volumes.
The author of eight books and editor of two more, Lewis's field is comparative history with special focus on twentieth-century United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
social history and civil rights. His interests include nineteenth-century Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, twentieth-century France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and Islamic Spain.
Life
Lewis was born in Little Rock, ArkansasLittle Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
. His father, John Henry Lewis, Sr., graduated from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
School of Divinity and received an M.A. in sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
from the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
, and was principal of Paul Laurence Dunbar High School. His mother taught high school math. Lewis attended parochial school in Little Rock, then Wilberforce Preparatory School and Xenia High School
Xenia High School
Xenia High School is a public high school in Xenia, Ohio. It is the only high school in the Xenia Community Schools district. The school's average daily student enrollment for the 2008-2009 school year was 1452. The Ohio Department of Education has given Xenia High School a rating of "Continuous...
in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. When the family moved to Atlanta, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, Lewis attended Booker T. Washington High School his junior year until his early admission at age fifteen to Fisk University
Fisk University
Fisk University is an historically black university founded in 1866 in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. The world-famous Fisk Jubilee Singers started as a group of students who performed to earn enough money to save the school at a critical time of financial shortages. They toured to raise funds to...
in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1956.
Lewis briefly attended the University of Michigan Law School
University of Michigan Law School
The University of Michigan Law School is the law school of the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor. Founded in 1859, the school has an enrollment of about 1,200 students, most of whom are seeking Juris Doctor or Master of Laws degrees, although the school also offers a Doctor of Juridical...
but left to attend 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...
, where he earned his M.A.
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...
in history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
in 1959. In 1962, Lewis was awarded a Ph.D.
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 modern European and French history from the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
.
In 1961-1962, Lewis served in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
as a psychiatric technician and private first class
Private First Class
Private First Class is a military rank held by junior enlisted persons.- Singapore :The rank of Private First Class in the Singapore Armed Forces lies between the ranks of Private and Lance-Corporal . It is usually held by conscript soldiers midway through their national service term...
in Landstuhl, Germany.
In 1963, he lectured on medieval history at the University of Ghana
University of Ghana
The University of Ghana is the oldest and largest of the thirteen Ghanaian universities and tertiary institutions. It is one of the best universities in Africa and by far the most prestigious in West Africa...
. Lewis taught at Morgan State University
Morgan State University
Morgan State University, formerly Centenary Biblical Institute , Morgan College and Morgan State College , is a historically black college in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Morgan is Maryland's designated public urban university and the largest HBCU in the state of Maryland...
, the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
, Howard University
Howard University
Howard University is a federally chartered, non-profit, private, coeducational, nonsectarian, historically black university located in Washington, D.C., United States...
, and the University of the District of Columbia from 1970 to 1980 as associate and full professor. His Prisoners of Honor: The Dreyfus Affair appeared in 1974; The Bicentennial History of the District of Columbia appeared in 1976; and When Harlem Was in Vogue in 1980. Lewis was professor of history at University of California at San Diego before joining 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 1985 as the Martin Luther King Jr. Professor of History. Lewis produced his Pulitzer Prize-winning biographies of W. E. B. Du Bois during his 18-year tenure at Rutgers. He completed research for his first Du Bois volume and finished writing The Race to Fashoda: European Colonialism and African Resistance in the Scramble for Africa, which appeared in 1987. In spring semester 2001, Lewis was distinguished visiting professor in Harvard's history department. In 2003, Lewis was appointed and is currently the Julius Silver University Professor and Professor of History at New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
.
Lewis is the author of the first academic biography of Martin Luther King, Jr., appearing less than two years after the subject's assassination. Besides the two Pulitzer Prizes for his biographies of W. E. B. Du Bois, he is also the 1994 winner of the Bancroft Prize
Bancroft Prize
The Bancroft Prize is awarded each year by the trustees of Columbia University for books about diplomacy or the history of the Americas. It was established in 1948 by a bequest from Frederic Bancroft...
and the Francis Parkman Prize
Francis Parkman Prize
The Francis Parkman Prize, named after Francis Parkman, is awarded by the Society of American Historians for the best book in American history each year. Its purpose is to promote literary distinction in historical writing...
. He has received fellowships from the Center for Advanced Study of Behavioral Sciences, the National Humanities Center
National Humanities Center
The National Humanities Center is an independent institute for advanced study in the humanities. It is the only major independent institute for advanced study in all fields of the humanities in the United States. The NHC operates as a privately incorporated nonprofit and is not part of any...
, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars , located in Washington, D.C., is a United States Presidential Memorial that was established as part of the Smithsonian Institution by an act of Congress in 1968...
, the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation, the American Philosophical Society
American Philosophical Society
The American Philosophical Society, founded in 1743, and located in Philadelphia, Pa., is an eminent scholarly organization of international reputation, that promotes useful knowledge in the sciences and humanities through excellence in scholarly research, professional meetings, publications,...
, and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. He is a former trustee of the National Humanities Center, former commissioner of the National Portrait Gallery
National Portrait Gallery (United States)
The National Portrait Gallery is an art gallery in Washington, D.C., administered by the Smithsonian Institution. Its collections focus on images of famous individual Americans.-Building:...
, and a former senator of Phi Beta Kappa.
Lewis appeared as a historical expert in the 1999 film New York: A Documentary Film
New York: A Documentary Film
New York: A Documentary Film is an eight-part, 17½ hour, American documentary film on the history of New York City. It was directed by Ric Burns and originally aired in the U.S. on PBS. The film was a co-production of Thirteen New York and WGBH Boston....
, directed by Ric Burns
Ric Burns
Ric Burns is an American documentary filmmaker and writer. He has written, directed and produced historical documentaries for nearly 20 years, beginning with his collaboration on the celebrated PBS series The Civil War , which he produced with his older brother Ken Burns and wrote with Geoffrey C...
for PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
. He was president of the Society of American Historians in 2002, and is a board member of the magazine The Crisis
The Crisis
The Crisis is the official magazine of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People , and was founded in 1910 by W. E. B. Du Bois , Oswald Garrison Villard, J. Max Barber, Charles Edward Russell, Kelly Miller, W.S. Braithwaite, M. D. Maclean.The original title of the journal was...
, published by the NAACP. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
and the American Philosophical Society
American Philosophical Society
The American Philosophical Society, founded in 1743, and located in Philadelphia, Pa., is an eminent scholarly organization of international reputation, that promotes useful knowledge in the sciences and humanities through excellence in scholarly research, professional meetings, publications,...
. and was an Ellen Maria Gorrissen Fellow at the American Academy in Berlin
American Academy in Berlin
The American Academy in Berlin is a research and cultural institution in Berlin whose stated mission is to foster a greater understanding and dialogue between the people of the United States and the people of Germany.The American Academy was founded in September 1994 by a group of prominent...
, Germany, in spring 2008. President Barack Obama awarded the 2009 National Humanities Medal at the White House on February 25, 2010. Lewis delivered the inaugural convocation lecture, September 19, 2010, at New York University Abu Dhabi.
Lewis lives in Manhattan and Stanfordville, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
with his wife, Ruth Ann Stewart, Clinical Professor of Public Policy at New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
. Dr. Lewis has three adult children from his first marriage to Sharon Lynn Siskind: Eric Levering Lewis, Allison Lillian Lewis and Jason Bradwell Lewis along with a son-in-law Michael John Wilson and two granddaughters Marissa Lynn Wilson and Natalie Elise Wilson. Lewis also has a stepdaughter, Allegra Stewart.
Books by David Levering Lewis
- King: A Critical Biography, Praeger Publishers, 1970. Univ. of Illinois Press, 1979.
- Prisoners of Honor: The Dreyfus Affair, William Morrow, 1974.
- District of Columbia: A Bicentennial History, W.W. Norton, 1976.
- The Race for Fashoda: European Colonialism and African Resistance in The Scramble for Africa. New York: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1987 ISBN 1-55584-058-2
- The Harlem RenaissanceHarlem RenaissanceThe Harlem Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned the 1920s and 1930s. At the time, it was known as the "New Negro Movement", named after the 1925 anthology by Alain Locke...
Reader (editor) (1994) - When Harlem Was in Vogue (Alfred Knopf, 1981) (Penguin, 1997) ISBN 0-14-026334-9
- W. E. B. Du Bois: Biography of a Race, 1868–1919, (Owl Books 1994). Winner of the 1994 Pulitzer Prize for Biography and winner also of the Bancroft and Parkman prizes.
- W. E. B. Du Bois: The Fight for Equality and the American Century 1919-1963 (Owl Books 2001). Winner of the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for Biography
- (with Deborah WillisDeborah WillisDeborah Willis is a contemporary African American artist, photographer, curator of photography, photographic historian, author, and educator. Among other awards and honors she has received, she was a 2000 MacArthur Fellow...
) A Small Nation of People: W. E. B. Du Bois & African American Portraits of Progress, HarperCollins, 2003. - God's Crucible: Islam and the Making of Europe, 570-1215, (New York: W. W. Norton and Company, 2008)
- The Implausible Wendell Willkie: Leadership Ahead of Its Time in Walter Isaacson (ed.) Profiles in Leadership (W. W. Norton & Company, 2011)