Joel G. Colton (born ''Joseph Goldstein''; August 23, 1918April 17, 2011) of Durham, North Carolina, was a modern history scholar and author. Colton received his B.A. in history from

City College City college may refer to: In the United States * Community college, a type of educational institution sometimes called a ''junior college'' or a ''city college'' in the United States * City College of New York ** 137th Street – City College (IR ...

in 1939 and his M.A. from

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manha ...

in 1940. After serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, he returned to Columbia, from which he received his Ph.D. in 1950. He taught at Duke University from 1947 until his retirement in 1982, except while serving as director of humanities at the

Rockefeller Foundation The Rockefeller Foundation is an American private foundation and philanthropic medical research and arts funding organization based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The second-oldest major philanthropic institution in America, after the Ca ...

between 1974 and 1982. His contributions to

R.R. Palmer Robert Roswell Palmer (January 11, 1909 – June 11, 2002) was an American historian at Princeton and Yale universities, who specialized in eighteenth-century France. His most influential work of scholarship, ''The Age of the Democratic Revolutio ...

's ''

A History of the Modern World ''A History of the Modern World'' is a work initially published by the distinguished American historian at Princeton and Yale universities Robert Roswell Palmer Robert Roswell Palmer (January 11, 1909 – June 11, 2002) was an American historian ...

'', is a classic. In 2002, it was reported that "First published in 1950, it has been translated into six languages and is used in more than 1,000 colleges and universities as well as many high school advanced placement courses." By 2011, the book had been translated into 10 languages.(Slotnick's Colton obit) Since its original publication, its reputation continued to grow. "In 1987, ''The New York Times'' put it on its list of the 19 classic textbooks of all time, in all disciplines. ''The Washington Post'' in 1996 called it 'the first book to be elevated to the textbook hall of fame'" Martin, Douglas. 18 June 2002. R.R. Palmer, 93, History Text Author Dies. New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2002/06/18/us/r-r-palmer-93-history-test-author-dies.html He died of

congestive heart failure Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome, a group of signs and symptoms caused by an impairment of the heart's blood pumping function. Symptoms typically include shortness of breath, excessive fatigue, ...

Major publications

* ''A History of the Modern World'' (2nd - 9th editions). NY: McGraw-Hill, 9th edition. * ''Léon Blum: Humanist in Politics''. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 1987. * ''Twentieth Century''. Amsterdam: Time-Life Books, 1969. * ''Compulsory Labor Arbitration in France, 1936-1939''. NY: Kings Crown Press, 1951.

References

1918 births 2011 deaths Historians from New York (state) Duke University faculty City College of New York alumni Columbia University alumni People from the Bronx 20th-century American Jews United States Army personnel of World War II {{US-historian-stub