William E. Leuchtenburg, a celebrated and renowned United States history professor known for his award-winning work covering the U.S. presidents, died Tuesday at his home in Chapel Hill at 102 years old. The Associated Press shared the news, citing his son Joshua A. Leuchtenburg.
A preeminent scholar on Franklin Roosevelt’s administration and legacy, Leuchtenburg taught at UNC for two decades after teaching previously at Columbia University, Harvard University and Smith College. He was most known for his authoring of more than a dozen books covering 20th-century U.S. history — including his 1963 book “Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal, 1932-1940,” which earned him the prestigious Bancroft Prize and the Francis Parkman Prize. He also earned the North Carolina Award for Literature in 2007, issued by Gov. Mike Easley.
“We are fortunate that Bill shared his vast knowledge and wisdom on presidential history with the Carolina community,” said UNC College of Arts and Sciences Dean Jim White in a release by the university. “We are grateful for his words, for his teaching and for his service.”
A native New Yorker, Leuchtenburg arrived to teach in Chapel Hill in 1982. Beyond his impact on numerous students and research, he also published several books during the 20 years within the UNC History Department. That includes “In the Shadow of FDR: From Harry Truman to Ronald Reagan” published in 1989, which has gone on to have four editions spanning to the presidency of Barack Obama. He was also a key contributor to several of Ken Burns’ documentaries and frequently served as a political analyst for CBS and NBC.
Even after his retirement from teaching in 2002, Leuchtenburg remained involved in the UNC community, serving as a board member for the UNC Press Board of Governors. The service is consistent with other groups he helped lead in his life, including as president of the Society of American Historians, American Historical Association and the Organization of American Historians.
Part of the long-time author’s legacy will be his longevity. Leuchtenburg continued to write each day, publishing works even after becoming a centenarian. His most recent book, “Patriot Presidents: From George Washington to John Quincy Adams,” published last summer — and he was working on a new edition to “In the Shadow of FDR” that would have covered President Joe Biden’s time in the White House and his connections to Roosevelt, according to the Associated Press.
Among his many media appearances and contributions, Leuchtenburg also visited “Who’s Talking with D.G. Martin” several times. His most recent appearance was in January 2017, where he discussed the 2016 presidential election and Donald Trump’s victory with Martin. Listen to that episode in full below.
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