Samuel Eliot Morison
Historian who combined sailing and scholarship to write authoritative maritime history.
Samuel Eliot Morison was a historian who combined sailing experience with archival research to write about maritime and naval history.[1] Morison received two Pulitzer Prizes and the Presidential Medal of Freedom during his career.[2][3]
Quick Facts
- Born
- 9 July 1887
- Died
- 15 May 1976
- Birthplace
- Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
- Allegiance
- United States
- Branch
- United States Navy
- Service years
- 1942–1951
- Rank
- Rear admiral (reserve)
- Battles
- World War II
Facts from the source article.
Life and work
Morison learned to sail at age fourteen and later used that skill to retrace Columbus's voyages.[4][1] After teaching at the University of California, Berkeley, he returned to Harvard as an instructor in 1915.[2] Morison retired from Harvard in 1955 and continued writing until his death from a stroke on May 15, 1976.[2][5] Morison was a private in the US Army during World War I.[2]
Morison was made a lieutenant commander in the US Naval Reserve in 1942 and started work on the History of United States Naval Operations in World War II.[6][2]
What the cited sources add
The Harvard Crimson article states that Morison's expedition aimed to evaluate Columbus as a navigator and sailor.[7] The same report notes that the aircrew's radio operator, Eric Geddes, had immediately transmitted the sighting.[8] The US Naval History and Heritage Command later issued a letter stating that Morison's criticism was unwarranted.[8] The expedition roster included Morison's wife and Captain John W. McElroy.[7]
References
- Wikipedia, "Samuel Eliot Morison" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Samuel E. Morison's Columbus Expedition Reaches United States After Five Months of Following Explorer's Courses", The Harvard Crimson, February 2, 1940; "Samuel E. Morison's Columbus Expedition Reaches United States After Five Months of Following Explorer's Courses", The Harvard Crimson, February 2, 1940; "Samuel E. Morison's Columbus Expedition Reaches United States After Five Months of Following Explorer's Courses", The Harvard Crimson, February 2, 1940 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Samuel Eliot Morison" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Rear Admiral Samuel Eliot Morison", Naval History and Heritage Command (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Samuel Eliot Morison" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Remarks at the Presentation of the 1964 Presidential Medal of Freedom Awards", The American Presidency Project (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Samuel Eliot Morison" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Washburn, Wilcomb E. "Samuel Eliot Morison, Historian" in The William and Mary Quarterly July 1979, pp. 325–352. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Samuel Eliot Morison" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Whitman, "Adm. Morison, 88, Historian, Is Dead", The New York Times, May 16, 1976 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Samuel Eliot Morison" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Rear Admiral Samuel Eliot Morison", Naval History and Heritage Command; Pfitzer, "Morison, Samuel Eliot", 1999, p. 839 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- "Samuel E. Morison's Columbus Expedition Reaches United States After Five Months of Following Explorer's Courses", The Harvard Crimson, February 2, 1940. facts only, no text reused. thecrimson.com
- Harvey, "Eric Geddes: Sole survivor of WWII RAAF aircrew wins fight to erase historic slur over Savo Island bloodbath", ABC News, 28 October 2014. facts only, no text reused. abc.net.au
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Samuel Eliot Morison (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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