James Harvey Robinson

Born in Bloomington, Illinois, in 1863, he studied at Harvard and continued his training in Germany before beginning a teaching career that included the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University. He became known as one of the main voices behind “New History,” an approach that urged historians to connect the past with broader social, cultural, and contemporary questions.

He also helped found the New School for Social Research after leaving Columbia, and his books reached a wide audience beyond the classroom. Works such as The Mind in the Making and The Humanizing of Knowledge show his gift for explaining big intellectual ideas in clear, engaging prose.

Remembered as both a scholar and a public educator, he played an important part in widening the scope of historical writing in the United States. His work still stands out for its belief that history should help people think more clearly about the world they live in.