Author, historian, journalist, illustrator, educator, radio commentator. He was a Dutch-American, who authored nearly 50 books in his lifetime. From the time he published "The Story of Mankind," for which he was awarded the first John Newbery medal for children's literature, he remained firmly in the public eye. His books, accompanied by his own illustrations, ranged from political and historical analysis to biography, geography, and stories for children. He was a correspondent for the Associated Press, witnessing unrest in Russia and Poland early in the century and returning to Europe at the outbreak of World War I. Between those assignments he studied at the University of Munich, where he was awarded a PhD in history. He became an American citizen in 1919. His varied career included the positions of history professor at Cornell and Antioch College and columnist for the Baltimore Sun. During the 1930s he entered radio broadcasting, became a personal friend of President Franklin Roosevelt, and was increasingly apprehensive over Hitler's rising power. In 1942 Queen Wilhelmina conferred the Order of the Netherlands Lion upon him, a significant honor from his native land. He died two years later of heart failure.
Author, historian, journalist, illustrator, educator, radio commentator. He was a Dutch-American, who authored nearly 50 books in his lifetime. From the time he published "The Story of Mankind," for which he was awarded the first John Newbery medal for children's literature, he remained firmly in the public eye. His books, accompanied by his own illustrations, ranged from political and historical analysis to biography, geography, and stories for children. He was a correspondent for the Associated Press, witnessing unrest in Russia and Poland early in the century and returning to Europe at the outbreak of World War I. Between those assignments he studied at the University of Munich, where he was awarded a PhD in history. He became an American citizen in 1919. His varied career included the positions of history professor at Cornell and Antioch College and columnist for the Baltimore Sun. During the 1930s he entered radio broadcasting, became a personal friend of President Franklin Roosevelt, and was increasingly apprehensive over Hitler's rising power. In 1942 Queen Wilhelmina conferred the Order of the Netherlands Lion upon him, a significant honor from his native land. He died two years later of heart failure.
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Advertisement
