Robert Vance Bruce | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1923-12-19)December 19, 1923 Malden, Massachusetts, United States |
| Died | January 15, 2008(2008-01-15) (aged 84) |
| Alma mater | University of New Hampshire (B.S.) Boston University (M.A.,PhD.) |
| Awards | Guggenheim Fellow (1957) Huntington Library Fellow (1966) President of the Lincoln Group of Boston (1969–74) Fellow of the Society of American Historians (1974) R. Gerald McMurtry Lecturer on Abraham Lincoln (1981) Pulitzer Prize for History (1988) Fortenbaugh Lecturer atGettysburg College (1989) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | History (American Civil War) |
| Institutions | University of Bridgeport Lawrence Academy at Groton Boston University University of Wisconsin |
| Notes | |
Robert Vance Bruce (December 19, 1923 inMalden, Massachusetts – January 15, 2008 inOlympia, Washington)[1][6] was an American historian specializing in theAmerican Civil War, who won the 1988Pulitzer Prize for History for his bookThe Launching of Modern American Science, 1846–1876 (1987).[5] After serving in the Army duringWorld War II, Bruce graduated from theUniversity of New Hampshire, where he earned hisBachelor of Science inmechanical engineering. He received hisMaster of Arts in history and hisDoctor of Philosophy fromBoston University, where he was later a professor.[3][4][6] He also taught at theUniversity of Bridgeport,Lawrence Academy at Groton, and theUniversity of Wisconsin.[6] Bruce was also a lecturer at the Fortenbaugh Lecture atGettysburg College.[7]
In April 1998, Bruce accused Scottish historianJames A. Mackay of plagiarizing his bookBell: Alexander Graham Bell and The Conquest of Solitude, even as Mackay acknowledged Bruce on page 12 of his book.[3][8] Accusations also appeared in the review of Mackay's book byThe Washington Post.[9] By Bruce's own count, 285 pages of Mackay's 297-page bookAlexander Graham Bell: A Life contained plagiarisms from his book, including Mackay's acknowledging theNational Geographic Society and other organizations that had not heard of Mackay. Eventually,John Wiley & Sons took the book out of print and destroyed any remaining copies at Mackay's expense in exchange for Bruce's promise not to sue.[10] Mackay also later apologized to Bruce.[11] TheAmerican Historical Association later found that Mackay had violated itsStatement on Standards of Professional Conduct.[12]
Bruce wrote multiple works:[1]
Pulitzer Prize forHistory (1976–2000) | ||
|---|---|---|
| .png) | |
