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Page Smith

ページ・スミス

Peiji Sumisu

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1917-09-06 （Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.）
Died
1995-08-28 （Santa Cruz, California, U.S. (home)） age 77
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Residence History
Baltimore (birthplace) → Williamsburg, Virginia (research/early career) → Los Angeles (UCLA faculty) → Santa Cruz, California (later life, activism)

Career

Occupations
Historian, Professor, Author, Newspaper columnist, Activist
Active Years
1940-1995
Affiliations
Founding Provost of Cowell College, University of California, Santa Cruz, University of California, Los Angeles (faculty), William James Association (co-founder), College of William and Mary (faculty)
Influenced By
Samuel Eliot Morison, Eugen Rosenstock-Huessy
Influenced
Paul Lee (colleague, collaborator), Community activists and students in Santa Cruz

Education

Dartmouth College
Faculty of Arts and Sciences / Department of History
Degree: B.A.
Period: 1936–1940
Year of Graduation: 1940
Country: United States
Completed B.A.
Harvard University
Graduate School / History
Degree: M.A.
Period: 1946–1948
Year of Graduation: 1948
Country: United States
Completed M.A.
Harvard University
Graduate School / History
Degree: Ph.D.
Period: 1948–1951
Year of Graduation: 1951
Country: United States
Doctoral advisor: Samuel Eliot Morison

Awards

Bancroft Prize
1963
Work: John Adams (biography)
Organization: Columbia University
Result: 受賞
Purple Heart
1945
Organization: United States Army
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

James Wilson

1956 Biography / History

A biographical study of James Wilson, an important figure in the founding era of the United States.

Founding-era U.S. historyBiographical study

John Adams

1962 Biography / History

A two-volume biography of John Adams, praised for its detailed archival research; winner of the Bancroft Prize.

American Revolutionary eraPolitics and morality

A People's History of the United States (8 vols.)

1976 People's history / Comprehensive history

An eight-volume series narrating U.S. history from the perspective of ordinary people.

People's historySocial historyDemocracy

Killing the Spirit: Higher Education in America

1990 Essay / Education critique

A critical examination of higher education and a denunciation of the 'publish or perish' culture; includes his account of resigning from UCSC.

Education reformScholarly public responsibility

Bibliography

  • James Wilson (1956)
  • John Adams (2 vols., 1962-1963)
  • The Historian and History (1964)
  • As A City Upon a Hill (1966)
  • Daughters of the Promised Land (1970)
  • The Chicken Book (with Charles Daniel, 1975)
  • Jefferson: A Revealing Biography (1976)
  • A Letter from My Father (1976)
  • A People's History of the United States (8 vols., 1976–1987)
  • The Constitution: A Documentary and Narrative History (1978)
  • Dissenting Opinions (1984)
  • Killing the Spirit: Higher Education in America (1990)
  • Rediscovering Christianity (1994)
  • Democracy on Trial (1995)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Narrative, character-focused historical writingAccessible, citizen-centered prose
Recurring Motifs
People and democracyPublic responsibility of educationSocial justice and local community

Health

  • Leukemia
    晩年（1995年死去時）
    Impaired health in later years; primary cause of death in 1995.
  • War wound (injury)
    第二次世界大戦（1940年代）
    Wounded in the Italian campaign; awarded the Purple Heart.

Legacy

Page Smith was a highly regarded 20th-century American historian and biographer who emphasized public history and accessible narrative. His critique of higher education and longtime community activism (homeless services, prison arts programs) left a lasting impact beyond academia.

Academic Societies

  • American Historical Association (related)

Archives

  • Regional History Project / UCSC archives (holds related materials)

In Popular Culture

  • Mentioned on This American Life episode 'Last Words'

Quotes

  • I decided to resign because I wanted to take a clear stand on a colleague's tenure issue. I have never fully agreed with the publish-or-perish standard.
    Source: Founding Cowell College (recorded interview / publication) (1996)
  • History must not overlook the deeds of ordinary people. Recording the stories of citizens is my work.
    Source: A People's History of the United States (work) (1976)

Trivia

  • Married Eloise Pickard in 1942; they were married for 53 years.
  • Eloise died of kidney cancer in 1995; Page Smith died of leukemia one day after her.
  • Won the 1963 Bancroft Prize for his biography 'John Adams'.
  • Became founding provost of Cowell College in 1964 and resigned in 1973.
  • Co-founded the William James Association and was active in local social projects.