Bancroft Prize
1 appearances
Bernard Augustine DeVoto
バーナード・オーガスティン・デヴォート
Bernard Augustine DeVoto
Pen Names:
John August（Pseudonym used for some novels）,
Cady Hewes（Pseudonym used for essays/short pieces）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1897-01-11 （Ogden, Utah, U.S.）
- Died
- 1955-11-13 （New York City, U.S.） age 58
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Ogden, Utah → Massachusetts (near Boston) → New York City
Career
- Occupations
- writer, historian, critic, essayist, editor, teacher, columnist, conservationist, reviewer, speechwriter
- Active Years
- 1922-1955
- Affiliations
- Northwestern University (English instructor), Harvard University (part-time instructor, editor), Saturday Review (editor), Harper's Magazine (columnist)
- Influenced By
- Mark Twain (as a subject and influence), Vilfredo Pareto (intellectual influence)
- Influenced
- Wallace Stegner (friend and biographer), Later historians and conservationists of the American West
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Utah | — | — | — | 1916–1917 | United States |
| Harvard University | — | — | — | 1917–1920 | United States |
University of Utah
Period:
1916–1917
Country:
United States
Attended for one year before transferring to Harvard
Harvard University
Period:
1917–1920
Year of Graduation:
1920
Country:
United States
Interrupted studies for WWI service; graduated 1920
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | Pulitzer Prize for History | Across the Wide Missouri | — | The Pulitzer Prizes | 受賞 |
| 1948 | Bancroft Prize | Across the Wide Missouri | — | Columbia University (Bancroft Prize) | 受賞 |
| 1953 | National Book Award for Nonfiction | The Course of Empire | — | National Book Foundation | 受賞 |
Pulitzer Prize for History
1948
Work:
Across the Wide Missouri
Organization:
The Pulitzer Prizes
Result:
受賞
Bancroft Prize
1948
Work:
Across the Wide Missouri
Organization:
Columbia University (Bancroft Prize)
Result:
受賞
National Book Award for Nonfiction
1953
Work:
The Course of Empire
Organization:
National Book Foundation
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Pulitzer Prize for History
1 appearances
-
Edition 31 (1948) Winner
Works
Major Works
The Year of Decision: 1846
1943 History 280 pagesA history examining the events and decisions of 1846, a pivotal year in American westward expansion and the Mexican War.
westward expansionwar and policydecisions and consequences
Across the Wide Missouri
1947 History (American West) 352 pagesA study of the fur trade and exploration of the Missouri River region, depicting life and commerce of frontier traders. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and Bancroft Prize.
explorationfur tradecultural contactnature and economy
The Course of Empire
1952 History / Cultural analysis 300 pagesDiscusses the history and transformation of the American West, resource use, and cultural impact. Winner of the National Book Award.
development of civilizationresources and environmenthistorical interpretation
The Hour: A Cocktail Manifesto
1951 Essay / Miscellany 120 pagesA collection of essays on drinking and cocktail culture, mixing humor with cultural criticism.
everyday culturefood and drinkpersonal essays
The Easy Chair
1955 Columns / Essays 200 pagesA collection of essays from his long-running Harper's Magazine column 'The Easy Chair,' covering politics, literature, and culture.
literary criticismpolitical and social commentarycultural criticism
Bibliography
- The Crooked Mile (1924)
- The Chariot of Fire (1926)
- The House of Sun-Goes-Down (1928)
- Mark Twain's America (1932)
- We Accept With Pleasure (1934)
- Genius is Not Enough (1936)
- Forays and Rebuttals (1936)
- Across the Wide Missouri (1947)
- The Course of Empire (1952)
- The Journals of Lewis and Clark (editor, 1953)
- The Easy Chair (1955)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- detailed, research-based historical narrationpolemic and incisive essayshumorous cultural criticism
- Recurring Motifs
- the American Westnature and resource useexploration and tradedevelopment and critique of civilization
Legacy
Bernard DeVoto played a key role in popularizing American Western history and influenced conservation movements and cultural criticism. Through awards like the Pulitzer and National Book Award he bridged academic and general readerships.
Academic Societies
- American Antiquarian Society (associated)
- Various historical societies related to regional history
Archives
- Library of Congress holdings (materials related to Bernard DeVoto)
- Harvard University archives
In Popular Culture
- Inspired conservation efforts and reevaluation of the American West
- Indirect connection to culinary world (e.g., Julia Child) via his wife Avis
Quotes
-
Flawed, brilliant, provocative, outrageous, ... often wrong, often spectacularly right, always stimulating, sometimes infuriating, and never, never dull.
Source: Wallace Stegner — The Uneasy Chair: A Biography of Bernard DeVoto (1974) -
Genius is not enough.
Source: Genius is Not Enough (Saturday Review, 1936) (1936)
Trivia
- First person from Utah to win a Pulitzer Prize.
- Published fiction and essays under the pen names John August and Cady Hewes.
- His wife Avis DeVoto had friendships in the culinary world (e.g., Julia Child), creating cultural connections.