Historian David McCullough to address spring graduates

Distinguished historian David McCullough, whose prize-winning books have been praised for scholarship, literary distinction and insight into American life, will deliver the Commencement address at the University of Delaware on Saturday, May 26.

"David McCullough is one of America's most highly praised historians, with honors including the Pulitzer Prize, two National Book Awards and the prestigious Frances Parkman Prize, among others," Robert R. Davis, vice president for University development and alumni relations, said in making the announcement. "In addition to his writing, he is well known for his work on public television, serving as host of The American Experience and as narrator for The Civil War.

"His reputation as an historian is matched by his reputation as a gifted public speaker, and I think the members of the Class of 2001 and their families and friends are in store for a memorable and thought-provoking speech," Davis said.

Graduating seniors were asked to nominate potential speakers, and McCullough was one of those nominated, Davis said.

The free public ceremony, which will be held outdoors rain or shine, will begin at 9 a.m. in Delaware Stadium.

McCullough spoke at the University of Delaware Library Associates' annual dinner in 1984.

McCullough's books include The Johnstown Flood; The Great Bridge, the story of the building of the Brooklyn Bridge; The Path Between the Seas, which detailed the creation of the Panama Canal; Mornings on Horseback, the life of young Theodore Roosevelt; Brave Companions, essays on heroic figures; and Truman, one of the most popular American biographies of all time. None of his books has ever been out of print.

A past president of the Society of American Historians, he has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and has received 27 honorary degrees.

McCullough has lectured in all parts of the country and abroad, as well as at the White House as part of the White House Presidential Lecture Series. He also is one of the few private citizens to be asked to speak before a joint session of Congress.

Currently, he is writing a book about a man whose son went on to become president–John Adams.

Photo by WILLIAM B. MCCULLOUGH