Eric F. Goldman


Eric Frederick Goldman was an American historian, Rollins Professor of History at Princeton University, and Presidential advisor.

Life

Born in Washington, D.C., United States, he was educated in public schools in Baltimore, Maryland, and graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a Ph.D. in history at age 22. He wrote on national affairs for TIME magazine. He joined Princeton University as an assistant professor in 1942. He became a full professor in 1955, until retirement in 1985. He was special advisor to President Lyndon B. Johnson from 1963 to 1966.
He served as president of the Society of American Historians from 1962 to 1969. From 1959 to 1967, he was the moderator of the public affairs show The Open Mind, on NBC.
He married Joanna R. Jackson. His papers are held at the Library of Congress, and the University of California, Los Angeles.

Writings

Goldman’s most influential work appeared in 1952: Rendezvous with Destiny: A History of Modern American Reform, covering reform efforts from the Grant Administration into the Truman years. For decades it was a staple of the undergraduate curriculum in history, highly regarded for its style and its exposition of modern American liberalism. According to Priscilla Roberts:

Awards