David H. Pinkney (1914–1993) was a renowned scholar of French history, author, and emeritus professor of history at the

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seattl ...

, from 1967 until his retirement in 1984. Pinkney, born in Elyria, Ohio, attended Oberlin College and received his doctorate in history from

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

in 1941. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, he served in the Office of Strategic Services and the

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...

. After military service, Pinkney began his long teaching career at the

University of Missouri The University of Missouri (Mizzou, MU, or Missouri) is a public land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus University of Missouri System. MU was founded in ...

. In 1966 he moved to the University of Washington where he taught until his retirement in 1984. Pinkney authored five books and multiple articles on French history, specifically the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...

of 1789 and the post-revolution years. Pinkney was one of the co-founders of the Society for French Historical Studies and held many positions within the society over the years, including president from 1975–1976, as well as member of the Executive Board for twenty-seven years. From 1966 to 1975 he was editor-in-chief for the journal of French Historical Studies. Pinkney received international acclaim for his contributions to French history and received an honorary doctorate from the

University of Nantes The University of Nantes (french: Université de Nantes) is a public university located in the city of Nantes, France. In addition to the several campuses scattered in the city of Nantes, there are two satellite campuses located in Saint-Nazaire ...

. He was elected president of the

American Historical Association The American Historical Association (AHA) is the oldest professional association of historians in the United States and the largest such organization in the world. Founded in 1884, the AHA works to protect academic freedom, develop professional s ...

in 1980 and participated in drafting a new constitution for the organization. He was chosen as fellow of the

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, a ...

in 1984. The David H. Pinkney prize for best French history book by an American or Canadian professor is awarded yearly through the Society for French Historical Studies.

Bibliography

*"Two Thousand Years of Paris," ''The Journal of Modern History'' Vol. 23, No. 3, September 1951 *"Napoleon III's Transformation of Paris: The Origins and Development of the Idea," ''The Journal of Modern History'' Vol. 27, No. 2, June 1955 *Napoleon III and the Rebuilding of Paris (1958) *A Festschrift for Frederick B. Artz (1964) *The French Revolution of 1830 (1972) *Napoleon, Historical Enigma (1978) *Decisive Years in France, 1840–1847 (1986)

References

Oberlin College alumni Harvard University alumni University of Missouri faculty University of Washington faculty 1993 deaths 1914 births 20th-century American historians 20th-century American male writers Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences American male non-fiction writers United States Navy personnel of World War II {{US-historian-stub