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Carleton Mabee

カールトン・メイビー

Carleton Mabee

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1914-12-24 （Shanghai, China）
Died
2014-12-18 age 99
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Residence History
Shanghai, China (birthplace) → Gardiner, New York, United States

Career

Occupations
Writer, Historian, Professor, Biographer
Active Years
1943-2014
Affiliations
State University of New York at New Paltz (Professor Emeritus)

Education

Bates College
Country: United States
Columbia University
Country: United States

Awards

Pulitzer Prize (Biography or Autobiography)
1944
Work: The American Leonardo: A Life of Samuel F. B. Morse
Category: 伝記・自伝
Organization: The Pulitzer Prizes
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The American Leonardo: A Life of Samuel F. B. Morse

1943 Biography

A detailed biography of Samuel F. B. Morse that examines his life as both an inventor and an artist, reassessing his achievements and personal history.

BiographyInvention and artEarly American technological history

The Seaway Story

1961 History / Non-fiction

A historical account of the St. Lawrence Seaway covering its construction, political background, and economic impact.

Infrastructure historyRegional economyPolitical history

Black Freedom: The Nonviolent Abolitionists from 1830 Through the Civil War

1970 History / Social history

A study of nonviolent abolitionists and their leaders and tactics from the 1830s through the Civil War.

AbolitionismNonviolenceAfrican American history

Black Education in New York State: From Colonial to Modern Times

1979 Educational history

An academic study tracing the development of Black education in New York State from colonial times through the late 20th century.

History of educationRace and educationState history

Sojourner Truth: Slave, Prophet, Legend

1995 Biography / Women's history

A biography that reevaluates Sojourner Truth's life using previously neglected sources, illuminating her public activities and symbolic role.

Women's historySlavery and emancipationHuman rights activism

Gardiner and Lake Minnewaska

2003 Local history

A local history of Gardiner, New York and the Lake Minnewaska area, illustrated with photographs and narrative.

Local historyConservationLandscape

Saving the Shawangunks: The Struggle to Protect one of Earth’s Great Places

2017 Environmental history / Conservation

A non-fiction account documenting the conservation of the Shawangunk Ridge and the struggles among residents, organizations, and policy makers.

ConservationLocal activismEnvironmental policy

Bridging the Hudson: The Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge and its connecting Rail Lines

2001 Local history / Transport history

A locally focused study of the Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge and the history of its connecting rail lines.

Transport historyRegional infrastructureIndustrial history

Bibliography

  • The American Leonardo: A Life of Samuel F. B. Morse
  • The Seaway Story
  • Black Freedom
  • Black Education in New York State
  • Sojourner Truth: Slave, Prophet, Legend
  • Gardiner and Lake Minnewaska
  • Saving the Shawangunks
  • Bridging the Hudson

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Scholarly, archival research–based narrativeBiographical and expository tone
Recurring Motifs
Biographical reassessmentAfrican American historyLocal history and conservation

Legacy

Carleton Mabee was a Pulitzer Prize–winning biographer and historian known for his studies of Samuel F. B. Morse and Sojourner Truth, as well as his work on education history in New York State and local conservation. His writings influenced local historical understanding and preservation efforts.

Trivia

  • Born in Shanghai in 1914 and died in 2014 at age 99.
  • Won the 1944 Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography for The American Leonardo.
  • Lived in Gardiner, New York and authored works on local history and conservation.