James Phinney Baxter III | |
|---|---|
| 10th President ofWilliams College | |
| In office 1937–1961 | |
| Preceded by | Tyler Dennett |
| Succeeded by | John Edward Sawyer |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1893-02-15)February 15, 1893 Portland, Maine, U.S. |
| Died | June 17, 1975(1975-06-17) (aged 82) |
| Occupation | Historian, educator, academic |
| Awards | Pulitzer Prize for History (1947) |
James Phinney Baxter III (February 15, 1893 inPortland, Maine – June 17, 1975 inWilliamstown, Massachusetts) was an Americanhistorian,educator, and academic, who won the 1947Pulitzer Prize for History for his bookScientists Against Time (1946).[1] He was also the author ofThe Introduction of the Ironclad Warship (1933).[2]
Baxter was the grandson of historian and mayor ofPortland, Maine,James Phinney Baxter and the son of James Phinney Baxter, Jr. He was a nephew of former Maine governor and philanthropistPercival Proctor Baxter. He attendedPortland High School andPhillips Academy inAndover, Massachusetts, followed byWilliams College, where he was graduated asvaledictorian withPhi Beta Kappa honors, was a member ofKappa Alpha Society, and served as president of theGargoyle Society. He obtained M.A. degrees from both Williams andHarvard University and his Ph.D. from Harvard in 1926.
Baxter taught atColorado College and then at Harvard, progressing from instructor to full professor in 10 years. He served as the first master ofAdams House. In 1928 he was elected a Fellow of theAmerican Academy of Arts and Sciences.[3] In 1937-1961 he was president of Williams College.[4] Baxter left Williams for a few years during World War II while he served as research coordinator of information (1941–1943) and director of theOffice of Strategic Services (1942–1943). In 1943 he was the part-time official historian of theOffice of Scientific Research and Development, where he wroteScientists Against Time.
He was a member of the board of trustees of theWorld Peace Foundation.
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