Samuel E. Morison
Samuel Eliot Morison
#### Full Name and Common Aliases
Samuel Eliot Morison was a renowned American naval historian, biographer, and Pulitzer Prize-winning author.
Birth and Death Dates
Born on June 15, 1887, in Boston, Massachusetts, he passed away on May 19, 1976, at the age of 88.
Nationality and Profession(s)
Morison was an American by nationality and a historian and writer by profession. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential naval historians of the 20th century.
Early Life and Background
Growing up in Boston's Beacon Hill neighborhood, Morison developed a keen interest in history from an early age. His father, Charles Gilman Morison, was a lawyer, and his mother, Mary Elizabeth Eliot Morison, came from a family of modest means but strong academic backgrounds. Samuel's love for learning was nurtured at the Boston Latin School, where he excelled academically before attending Harvard University.
At Harvard, Morison studied history and philosophy under prominent scholars like Albert Bushnell Hart and James Bradley Thayer. He graduated in 1908 with honors and went on to earn a Ph.D. in history from Harvard in 1912. Morison's early life laid the foundation for his future academic pursuits and writing career.
Major Accomplishments
Morison's academic and professional achievements are too numerous to list comprehensively, but some of his most notable accomplishments include:
Serving as a professor of naval history at the United States Naval Academy from 1925 to 1941
Authoring over two dozen books on naval and maritime history
Receiving the Pulitzer Prize in History for "The Oxford History of the American People" (1965)
Being elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and serving as its president from 1953 to 1958
Notable Works or Actions
Some of Morison's most notable works include:
"The Maritime History of Massachusetts 1783-1860" (1941) - a comprehensive history of maritime Massachusetts
"Admiral of the Ocean Sea: A Life of Christopher Columbus" (1942) - a celebrated biography of the famous explorer
"Christopher Columbus, Mariner" (1947) - an authoritative study on Columbus's life and voyages
Morison's extensive body of work has had a lasting impact on our understanding of naval and maritime history.
Impact and Legacy
Samuel Eliot Morison's influence extends far beyond his impressive list of publications. He played a pivotal role in shaping the field of naval history, introducing new perspectives and approaches that have become standard in academic circles. His writing style, which combined meticulous research with engaging narrative, has inspired generations of historians and writers.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Morison's legacy can be attributed to several factors:
Authoritative voice: Morison was a masterful writer who brought depth and nuance to his subjects.
Groundbreaking research: He conducted extensive research, often traveling to archives and conducting interviews with sailors and historians.
Prolific output: Throughout his long career, Morison produced an astonishing number of books, articles, and lectures.
Today, Samuel Eliot Morison remains one of the most revered figures in American naval history. His commitment to scholarship, writing, and teaching continues to inspire new generations of historians and scholars.
Quotes by Samuel E. Morison
Intellectual honesty is the quality that the public in free countries always has expected of historians; much more than that it does not expect, nor often get.
In any case, his judgment and set of values, acting alone or through his assistants, determine not only what is gold and what is dross but the design of the history which he creates out of the metal. The historian decides what is significant, and what is not.
Skepticism is an important historical tool. It is the starting point of all revision of hitherto accepted history.
Any child knows that history can only be a reduced representation of reality, but it must be a true one, not distorted by queer lenses.
The same contingencies of time and space that force a statesman or soldier to make decisions, impel the historian, though with less urgency, to make up his mind.
Courses on historical methodology are not worth the time that they take up. I shall never give one myself, and I have observed that many of my colleagues who do give such courses refrain from exemplifying their methods by writing anything.
Every historian with professional standards speaks or writes what he believes to be true.
With honesty of purpose, balance, a respect for tradition, courage, and, above all, a philosophy of life, any young person who embraces the historical profession will find it rich in rewards and durable in satisfaction.