Bancroft Prize
1 appearances
Stephan Thernstrom
ステファン・サーンストロム
Stephan Thernstrom
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1934-11-05 （Port Huron, Michigan, U.S.）
- Died
- 2025-01-23 age 90
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Religion
- Christian Science (raised)
- Residence History
- Port Huron, Michigan → Battle Creek, Michigan → Cambridge/Boston, Massachusetts (Harvard University) → Los Angeles, California (UCLA) → Cambridge, United Kingdom (visiting)
Career
- Occupations
- Historian, University professor, Researcher
- Active Years
- 1960-2025
- Affiliations
- Harvard University, Brandeis University, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), University of Cambridge (Pitt Professor)
- Influenced By
- Oscar Handlin
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwestern University | — | Department of History | B.A. | 1952–1956 | United States |
| Harvard University | — | Department of History | Ph.D. | 1958–1964 | United States |
Northwestern University
Department of History
Degree:
B.A.
Period:
1952–1956
Year of Graduation:
1956
Country:
United States
Harvard University
Department of History
Degree:
Ph.D.
Period:
1958–1964
Year of Graduation:
1964
Country:
United States
Advisor: Oscar Handlin
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Bancroft Prize | The Other Bostonians | — | Columbia University (Bancroft Prize) | winner |
| 2007 | Fordham Prize for Distinguished Scholarship | No Excuses (co-authored) | — | Fordham Foundation | winner |
| 1997 | Bradley Foundation Prize for Outstanding Intellectual Achievement | — | — | Bradley Foundation | recipient |
| 2004 | Peter Shaw Memorial Award | — | — | National Association of Scholars | recipient |
| — | Waldo G. Leland Prize | — | — | — | recipient |
| — | R.R. Hawkins Award | — | — | — | recipient |
Bancroft Prize
1974
Work:
The Other Bostonians
Organization:
Columbia University (Bancroft Prize)
Result:
winner
Fordham Prize for Distinguished Scholarship
2007
Work:
No Excuses (co-authored)
Organization:
Fordham Foundation
Result:
winner
Bradley Foundation Prize for Outstanding Intellectual Achievement
1997
Organization:
Bradley Foundation
Result:
recipient
Peter Shaw Memorial Award
2004
Organization:
National Association of Scholars
Result:
recipient
Waldo G. Leland Prize
Result:
recipient
R.R. Hawkins Award
Result:
recipient
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Poverty and Progress: Social Mobility in the Nineteenth-Century City
1964 Social history; Urban historyA quantitative study of poverty and social mobility in nineteenth-century cities, examining labor, migration, and class change.
Social mobilityPovertyUrbanization
The Other Bostonians: Poverty and Progress in the American Metropolis, 1880–1970
1973 Social history; Urban historyThrough the case of Boston, examines poverty and social mobility from 1880 to 1970; hailed as a landmark of quantitative history.
Urban povertyClass structureQuantitative history
Harvard Encyclopedia of American Ethnic Groups (editor)
1980 Reference; Ethnic historyAn encyclopedic compilation on American ethnic groups, serving as an important reference in ethnic and immigration history.
Ethnic historyImmigrationAmerican society
A History of the American People
1984 National historyA general history of the United States, providing a comprehensive overview for a broad audience.
American historyNation formation
No Excuses: Closing the Racial Gap in Learning
2004 Education policy; Social commentaryAnalyzes achievement gaps in education and proposes policies and practices to close them. Co-authored with Abigail Thernstrom.
Achievement gapPolicy recommendationsRace and education
America in Black and White: One Nation, Indivisible
2009 Race relations; Social commentaryA comprehensive history and analysis of race relations in America. Co-authored with Abigail Thernstrom, including policy discussions.
Race relationsHistorical comparisonPolicy
Bibliography
- Poverty and Progress; Social Mobility in a Nineteenth Century City (1964)
- "Yankee City Revisited: The Perils of Historical Naïveté" (1965)
- "The Case of Boston" (1967)
- "Notes on the historical study of social mobility" (1968)
- Nineteenth-Century Cities; Essays in the New Urban History (ed., 1969)
- Poverty, Planning, and Politics in the New Boston (1969)
- The Other Bostonians; Poverty and Progress in the American Metropolis, 1880–1970 (1973)
- Harvard Encyclopedia of American Ethnic Groups (ed., 1980)
- A History of the American People (1984)
- Beyond the Color Line: New Perspectives on Race and Ethnicity in America (2002)
- No Excuses: Closing the Racial Gap in Learning (co-authored, 2004)
- America in Black and White: One Nation, Indivisible (co-authored, 2009)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Scholarly, quantitative historical writingClear argumentation and evidence-focused
- Recurring Motifs
- Social mobilityClass and povertyImmigration and ethnic groupsRace relations and education
Legacy
Stephan Thernstrom was a leading scholar in American social and urban history, using quantitative methods to study poverty and social mobility. Known for his work on education policy and race, and for influencing public-policy debates through collaborations with Abigail Thernstrom.
Academic Societies
- American Historical Association
- National Association of Scholars (associated)
In Popular Culture
- Frequently cited in The New York Times and conservative media as a prominent critic of affirmative action.
Quotes
-
They 'lead the conservative charge against racial preference in America,' the New York Times wrote.
Source: The New York Times (article) (1998) -
The New York Times Book Review described it as 'the best piece of quantitative history yet published.'
Source: The New York Times Book Review (1973)
Trivia
- Married Abigail Thernstrom in 1959.
- Daughter Melanie Thernstrom is a writer; son Samuel Thernstrom.
- Raised as a Christian Scientist but later became disillusioned with the faith.
- Served as an expert witness in federal cases concerning racial discrimination in schools.