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Professor Emeritus William Leuchtenburg dies at 102

The noted historian and expert on President Franklin D. Roosevelt taught at 色中色for 20 years.

Portrait of William Leuchtenburg seated in his office with his arm resting on a typewriter.
After teaching at UNC-Chapel Hill from 1982鈥2002, Leuchtenburg retired as the William Rand Kenan Jr. Distinguished Professor. He continued to serve on the UNC Press Board of Governors and perform other service for the University. (Dan Sears/UNC-Chapel Hill)

William Leuchtenburg, a professor emeritus of history and one of the country鈥檚 most eminent historians, died Jan. 28. He was 102.

鈥淲hat was striking about Bill Leuchtenburg was that he believed history is an essential part of our democratic culture, democratic society,鈥 said Lloyd Kramer, professor emeritus of history, former history department chair and former director of , 鈥渁nd his commitment to democracy 鈥 to public life 鈥 took the form of deep engagement with historical knowledge. He wanted people to understand that historical knowledge is essential for a democratic public life.鈥

Born Sept. 28, 1922, in New York, Leuchtenburg earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree at Cornell University in 1943 and a doctoral degree at Columbia University in 1951, focusing on modern American history.

He taught at Columbia from 1952 to 1982, where he developed a national reputation as a leading expert on the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt. His classic book on this subject, 鈥淔ranklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal, 1932鈥1940,鈥 which was published in 1963, received the prestigious and the .

He published numerous articles, monographs and textbooks at Columbia, establishing himself as a leading expert on America鈥檚 political history. The Society of American Historians selected Leuchtenburg as the first recipient of the for distinguished writing in American history of enduring public significance.

In 1982, Leuchtenburg became a faculty member at Carolina, where he continued to pursue historical research and writing. This led to several highly acclaimed books, including: 鈥淚n the Shadow of FDR鈥 (1989); 鈥淭he Supreme Court Reborn鈥 (1996); and 鈥淭he American President: From Teddy Roosevelt to Bill Clinton鈥 (2015).

In 2007, Gov. Mike Easley bestowed on Leuchtenburg the North 色中色Award for Literature.

Leuchtenburg鈥檚 last book, 鈥淧atriot Presidents: From George Washington to John Quincy Adams,鈥 was published just six months ago.

After teaching at UNC-Chapel Hill for 20 years, Leuchtenburg retired as the William Rand Kenan Jr. Distinguished Professor in 2002. He continued to serve on the UNC Press Board of Governors and perform other service for the University. For his exemplary contributions to the understanding of U.S. history, he received the honorary degree of from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2021.

鈥淲e are fortunate that Bill shared his vast knowledge and wisdom on presidential history with the 色中色community,鈥 said UNC College of Arts and Sciences Dean Jim White. 鈥淲e are grateful for his words, for his teaching and for his service.鈥

Two years ago, more than 150 friends and family celebrated Leuchtenburg鈥檚 with him at the Horace Williams House in Chapel Hill.

鈥淚 remember Bill as simply a good man whose hearty laughter and thoughtful conversations always enriched whatever group he joined,鈥 said Kramer, a friend of Leuchtenburg鈥檚.

Leuchtenburg also served as a visiting professor at Harvard, Cornell, William and Mary and other American universities, and he held the Harmsworth chair at Oxford University. He served as president of the Society of American Historians from 1978 to 1981, the Organization of American Historians from 1985 to 1986 and the American Historical Association in 1991.

He also was deeply engaged with public debate on contemporary issues and appeared on countless TV and radio shows, wrote articles for newspapers and gave interviews to reporters. He served as a presidential election analyst for NBC on several occasions.

Leuchtenburg also collaborated with Ken Burns on many documentary films, including the 1994 miniseries on baseball, one of Leuchtenburg鈥檚 passions, and 鈥淭he Roosevelts.鈥