Bancroft Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 27 (1974) Winner
Ray Allen Billington
レイ・アレン・ビリントン
Ray Allen Billington
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1903-09-28 （Bay City, Michigan）
- Died
- 1981-03-07 （San Marino, California） age 77
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Bay City, Michigan (birthplace) → University of Wisconsin–Madison (study/early) → Harvard University (Ph.D. studies, Cambridge, MA) → Oxford, United Kingdom (research/visiting) → San Marino, California (later life) → Los Angeles (Occidental College association)
Career
- Occupations
- historian, professor, author
- Active Years
- 1926-1981
- Affiliations
- Clark University, Smith College, Northwestern University, Huntington Library (Senior Research Associate), Occidental College (trustee/benefactor)
- Memberships
- Western History Association (co-founder), Organization of American Historians
- Influenced By
- Frederick Jackson Turner
- Influenced
- Martin Ridge, subsequent scholars of the American West
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Wisconsin–Madison | — | — | Ph.B. | — | United States |
| University of Michigan | — | — | M.A. | — | United States |
| Harvard University | — | Department of History | Ph.D. | — | United States |
| Oxford University | — | — | M.A.（名誉または在外学位） | 1953–1954（ハロルド・ヴィヴィアン・ハームズワース客員教授在任） | United Kingdom |
University of Wisconsin–Madison
Degree:
Ph.B.
Year of Graduation:
1926
Country:
United States
Ph.B. degree
University of Michigan
Degree:
M.A.
Year of Graduation:
1927
Country:
United States
Reportedly expelled for a student prank but later completed M.A.
Harvard University
Department of History
Degree:
Ph.D.
Year of Graduation:
1933
Country:
United States
Ph.D. in history with focus on American frontier history
Oxford University
Degree:
M.A.（名誉または在外学位）
Period:
1953–1954（ハロルド・ヴィヴィアン・ハームズワース客員教授在任）
Year of Graduation:
1953
Country:
United Kingdom
Received M.A. while serving as Harold Vyvyan Harmsworth Visiting Professor of American History
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | Spur Award | — | — | Western Writers of America | 受賞 |
| 1974 | Bancroft Prize | Frederick Jackson Turner: Historian, Teacher, Scholar | — | Columbia University Libraries (Bancroft Prize) | 受賞 |
Spur Award
Organization:
Western Writers of America
Result:
受賞
Bancroft Prize
1974
Work:
Frederick Jackson Turner: Historian, Teacher, Scholar
Organization:
Columbia University Libraries (Bancroft Prize)
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Los Angeles Times Book Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 2 (1981) Winner
Works
Major Works
The Protestant Crusade 1800–1860: A Study of the Origins of American Nativism
1938 history / social historyA study of 19th-century Protestant movements and the origins of nativism in the United States.
nativismreligious movements19th-century America
Westward Expansion: A History of the American Frontier
1949 history (American West)A broad history of America's westward expansion and the frontier; became a standard text with multiple editions.
westward expansionfrontierAmerican identity
The Far Western Frontier
1956 historyA collection of essays focusing on the more remote frontier regions of the American West.
frontier studiesregional history
Frederick Jackson Turner: Historian, Teacher, Scholar
1973 biography / historyA detailed biographical study defending and analyzing Frederick Jackson Turner's life and frontier thesis; awarded the Bancroft Prize.
frontier thesishistorical thoughtintellectual tradition
Land of Savagery, Land of Promise: The European Image of the American Frontier in the Nineteenth Century
1981 history / cultural historyAn analysis of nineteenth-century European perceptions of the American frontier.
perception studiescultural historyinternational comparison
Bibliography
- The Protestant Crusade 1800–1860: A Study of the Origins of American Nativism (1938)
- Westward Expansion: A History of the American Frontier (1st ed. 1949; 5th ed. 2001, co-authored)
- American History After 1865 (1950)
- The Far Western Frontier (1956)
- America's Frontier Heritage (1963)
- The Frontier Thesis: Valid Interpretation of American History? (editor, 1966)
- Frederick Jackson Turner: Historian, Teacher, Scholar (1973)
- America's Frontier Culture: Three Essays (1977)
- Limericks, Historical and Hysterical (1981)
- Land of Savagery, Land of Promise (1981)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- scholarly and narrativepolemic/defensive of the frontier thesislecture-like, textbook-oriented exposition
- Recurring Motifs
- frontier and national characterwestward expansiondefense of Turner's frontier thesisorigins of nativism
Legacy
Ray Allen Billington advanced the study of the American West and the frontier, serving as a leading defender of Frederick Jackson Turner's frontier thesis. The Ray Allen Billington Prize, named in his honor, recognizes outstanding books in frontier history. His estate funded a visiting professorship and student research fellowships at Occidental College.
Academic Societies
- Western History Association
- Organization of American Historians
Archives
- Huntington Library (archives)
Trivia
- Reportedly expelled from the University of Michigan for a student prank during his studies.
- Co-founded the Western History Association in 1961.
- Won the Bancroft Prize in 1974 for his book on Frederick Jackson Turner.
- Served as a trustee of Occidental College; his estate funded a visiting professorship and student research fellowships there.