David McCullough biography

David McCullough Biography

David McCullough was acclaimed as a "master of the art of narrative history." He was the winner of two Pulitzer Prizes, two National Book Awards, and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian award.

In the words of the citation accompanying his honorary degree from Yale, "As an historian, he paints with words, giving us pictures of the American people that live, breathe, and above all, confront the fundamental issues of courage, achievement, and moral character."

David McCullough was a two-time winner of the Francis Parkman Prize, and for his work overall he was honored by the National Book Foundation Distinguished Contribution to American Letters Award, the National Humanities Medal, and the Gold Medal for Biography given by the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, as well as the American Academy of Arts and Letters and received fifty-four honorary degrees.

In 2013, in his honor, the city of Pittsburgh, his hometown, renamed its landmark 16th Street Bridge over the Allegheny River the David McCullough Bridge. More recently, in September 2014, he was named an Officer of the Legion of Honor by decree of the President of the Republic of France.

In a crowded, productive career, he was an editor, teacher, lecturer, and familiar presence on public television—as host of Smithsonian World, The American Experience, and narrator of numerous documentaries including Ken Burns's The Civil War. His was also the narrator's voice in the movie Seabiscuit. John Adams, the seven-part mini-series on HBO produced by Tom Hanks, was one of the most acclaimed television events of recent years.

A gifted speaker, Mr. McCullough lectured in all parts of the country and abroad, as well as at the White House. He was also one of the few private citizens to speak before a joint session of Congress.

Born in Pittsburgh in 1933, he was educated there and at Yale. He was an avid reader, traveler, and enjoyed a lifelong interest in art and architecture. He was as well a devoted painter. He and his wife Rosalee Barnes McCullough had five children and, as of 2017, nineteen grandchildren. He died in early August 2022 aged 89.

David McCullough's website

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