Fun Facts Friday: Daniel J. Boorstin

Daniel J. Boorstin (1 October, 1914 – 28 February, 2004) was a historian specializing in both American and world history. Mr. Boorstin was the twelfth Librarian of the United States Congress.

Books by Daniel J. Boorstin*

Fun Facts about Daniel J. Boorstin:

1. Mr. Boorstin was born in Atlanta, GA to a Jewish family. His father was a lawyer.
2. The family left Georgia in 1915 due to a rise in antisemitism and settled in Tulsa, OK.
3. Danial J. Boorstin went to Harvard Law School graduating summa cum laude in 1937.
4. In 1941 Mr. Boorstin married Ruth Carolyn Frankel who became his partner and editor for his first book. The couple collaborated on more than 20 books.
5. The Americans: The Democratic Experience, the third book on the American experience trilogy won the 1974 Pulitzer Prize in History.
6. Mr. Boorstin coined the phrase “pseudo-event” which describes “activities that serve little to no purpose other than to be reproduced through advertisements or other forms of publicity”.
7. President Gerald Ford nominated Mr. Boorstin to be Librarian of Congress. The Authors Guild supported the nomination, but it was objected because of his perceived conservatism.
   He was confirmed by the Senate without debate.
8. As Librarian of Congress, Mr. Boorstin served under three Presidents: Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and Ronald Reagan.
9. In 1987 Mr. Boorstin retired to be a full-time author.
10. Daniel J. Boorstin passed away in Washington, DC from pneumonia.

Books by Daniel J. Boorstin*

Zohar — Man of la Book
*Ama­zon links point to an affil­i­ate account