Historians
7 people, across 3 fields.
W.E.B. Du Bois 1868–1963Scholars & Public IntellectualsSociologist, historian, and civil rights activist who was the first African American to earn a Harvard doctorate.
Howard Zinn 1922–2010EducationHistorian and Boston University professor whose A People's History of the United States reshaped historical narratives.
Washington Irving 1783–1859Literature & DramaEarly American storyteller whose Sketch Book gave the country Rip Van Winkle and Sleepy Hollow.
Henry Louis Gates Jr. b. 1950Scholars & Public IntellectualsLiterary critic and Harvard professor who has shaped African American studies and popularized genealogy.
George F. Kennan 1904–2005Political Leaders & StatecraftDiplomat whose Long Telegram and containment doctrine framed American Cold War strategy.
Studs Terkel 1912–2008Literature & DramaOral historian and Chicago broadcaster who recorded working Americans in book-length interview collections.
Diane Ravitch b. 1938EducationHistorian of education and former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education who shaped national education policy debates.