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clean up & uniformity
==Life==
==Life==
Curti was born in Papillion, a village near Omaha, Nebraska. His father was a physician who had immigrated from Switzerland; his mother was a [[Yankee]] from Vermont. He attended high school in Omaha, obtained a bachelor's degree in 1920 at Harvard College (where he was enrolled in an officer's training program), followed by a year of study in France. There he met and married Margaret Wooster, 1898-1963, a PhD from the University of Chicago who was a pioneer in research on child psychology.<ref>See [http://asteria.fivecolleges.edu/findaids/sophiasmith/mnsss9.html Margaret Wooster Curti Papers , 1898-1963] </ref>
Curti was born in Papillion, a village near Omaha, Nebraska. His father was a physician who had immigrated from Switzerland; his mother was a [[Yankee]] from Vermont. He attended high school in Omaha, obtained a bachelor's degree in 1920 at Harvard College (where he was enrolled in an officer's training program), followed by a year of study in France. There he met and married Margaret Wooster, 1898-1963, a PhD from the University of Chicago who was a pioneer in research on child psychology.<ref>See [http://asteria.fivecolleges.edu/findaids/sophiasmith/mnsss9.html Margaret Wooster Curti Papers , 1898-1963]</ref>
He took his Ph.D. in 1927 from Harvard, where he was one of the last students of [[Frederick Jackson Turner]]. Curti started writing on American cultural nationalism in the nineteenth century; it was never published but its theme reemerged in several books. His 1927 Ph.D. dissertation, nominally directed by [[Arthur Schlesinger, Sr.]] comprised essays on the history of the American peace movement. Curti taught at [[Smith College]] (1925-31), where he introduced the first course on the history of American thought. He taught at [[Teachers College, Columbia University]] (1931-1942), where he was influenced by [[John Dewey]] and in turn influenced numerous promiing graduate students, including [[Richard Hofstadter]]. He taught in Japan, Australia and India for two years. About this time he left the Episcopal faith of his boyhood for Unitarianism. Although never a Marxist, he voted for Socialist presidential candidates in the name of world peace.
He took his Ph.D. in 1927 from Harvard, where he was one of the last students of [[Frederick Jackson Turner]]. Curti started writing on American cultural nationalism in the nineteenth century; it was never published but its theme reemerged in several books. His 1927 Ph.D. dissertation, nominally directed by [[Arthur Schlesinger, Sr.]] comprised essays on the history of the American peace movement. Curti taught at [[Smith College]] (1925–31), where he introduced the first course on the history of American thought. He taught at [[Teachers College, Columbia University]] (1931-1942), where he was influenced by [[John Dewey]] and in turn influenced numerous promiing graduate students, including [[Richard Hofstadter]]. He taught in Japan, Australia and India for two years. About this time he left the Episcopal faith of his boyhood for Unitarianism. Although never a Marxist, he voted for Socialist presidential candidates in the name of world peace.
==Academic career==
==Academic career==
In the pacifistic 1930s Curti published a book on [[William Jennings Bryan]] and world peace (''Bryan and World Peace''). It was followed by ''Peace or War: The American Struggle'' in 1936. With these works, Curti helped found peace studies as a field of study. He criticized pacifists for ignoring major social changes--especially the repudiation of old-fashioned competitive capitalism by the [[New Deal]], and the need to repudiate imperial greed if peace were to be achieved. In 1964 he helped found the Conference on Peace Research in History, now called the Peace History Society. ''The Roots of American Loyalty'' (1946) was a history of patriotism. In 1942 Curti was called to the Frederick Jackson Turner professorship at the University of Wisconsin, one of the nation's three or four most influential centers of historical scholarship, where he remained until his retirement in 1968. The department was notorious for the angry feuds among the senior professors, which Curti, mild mannered and small of stature, completely ignored. Curti supervised 86 finished doctoral dissertations. They include among many famous scholars Hofstadter on Social Darwinism; John Higham on ethnicity; Paul Bourke on community studies; Allen Davis on Progressivism and Jane Addams; and Roderick Nash on the environment. Curti allowed his students a free hand in content and methodology. He encouraged his students constantly, wrote highly detailed critiques of their chapters, protected them from intradepartmental feuds, helped them get funding, and found them jobs through the "old boys" network of which he was an accomplished maestro (Curti wrote hundreds of letters a month to friends and ex-students across the globe.)
In the pacifistic 1930s Curti published a book on [[William Jennings Bryan]] and world peace (''Bryan and World Peace''). It was followed by ''Peace or War: The American Struggle'' in 1936. With these works, Curti helped found peace studies as a field of study. He criticized pacifists for ignoring major social changes—especially the repudiation of old-fashioned competitive capitalism by the [[New Deal]], and the need to repudiate imperial greed if peace were to be achieved. In 1964 he helped found the Conference on Peace Research in History, now called the Peace History Society. ''The Roots of American Loyalty'' (1946) was a history of patriotism. In 1942 Curti was called to the Frederick Jackson Turner professorship at the University of Wisconsin, one of the nation's three or four most influential centers of historical scholarship, where he remained until his retirement in 1968. The department was notorious for the angry feuds among the senior professors, which Curti, mild mannered and small of stature, completely ignored. Curti supervised 86 finished doctoral dissertations. They include among many famous scholars Hofstadter on Social Darwinism; John Higham on ethnicity; Paul Bourke on community studies; Allen Davis on Progressivism and Jane Addams; and Roderick Nash on the environment. Curti allowed his students a free hand in content and methodology. He encouraged his students constantly, wrote highly detailed critiques of their chapters, protected them from intradepartmental feuds, helped them get funding, and found them jobs through the "old boys" network of which he was an accomplished maestro (Curti wrote hundreds of letters a month to friends and ex-students across the globe.)
He continued to write after retirement, keeping up-to-date an influential textbook, ''Rise of the American Nation'' for the schools coauthored with Lewis Todd.
He continued to write after retirement, keeping up-to-date an influential textbook, ''Rise of the American Nation'' for the schools coauthored with Lewis Todd.
==New Social History==
==New Social History==
In 1959, Curti published a collaborative social history of rural Trempealeau County, Wisconsin using quantitative analysis of census records. The book which came out of the project, "The Making of an American Community: A Case Study of Democracy in a Frontier County," and immediately became a pioneer work in the "new social history." Curti's wife Margaret Wooster Curti, provided some of the quantitative methodology. Historians, however, did not emulate it, preferring instead to follow Stephan Thernstrom's model in ''Poverty and Progress: Social Mobility in a Nineteenth-Century American City'' (1964), which used a similar methodology of tracking workers through their careers using censuses and city directories. The difference was urban and rural--urban history was exploding and rural history was a backwater; in addition the Thernstrom model was easier to replicate by a graduate student writing a PhD thesis alone (Curti had numerous research assistants and coauthors). The "old" social history comprised descriptions of everyday lifestyles, perhaps with a coverage of grass roots political movements (like the Populists), His "new" social history was a systematic examination of the entire population using statistics and social science methodologies.
In 1959, Curti published a collaborative social history of rural Trempealeau County, Wisconsin using quantitative analysis of census records. The book which came out of the project, "The Making of an American Community: A Case Study of Democracy in a Frontier County," and immediately became a pioneer work in the "new social history." Curti's wife Margaret Wooster Curti, provided some of the quantitative methodology. Historians, however, did not emulate it, preferring instead to follow Stephan Thernstrom's model in ''Poverty and Progress: Social Mobility in a Nineteenth-Century American City'' (1964), which used a similar methodology of tracking workers through their careers using censuses and city directories. The difference was urban and rural—urban history was exploding and rural history was a backwater; in addition the Thernstrom model was easier to replicate by a graduate student writing a PhD thesis alone (Curti had numerous research assistants and coauthors). The "old" social history comprised descriptions of everyday lifestyles, perhaps with a coverage of grass roots political movements (like the Populists), His "new" social history was a systematic examination of the entire population using statistics and social science methodologies.
==Memberships, awards and honors==
==Memberships, awards and honors==
==Publications==
==Publications==
* ''The American Peace Crusade, 1815-1860'' (1929) [http://www.questia.com/read/102186879 online edition]
* ''The American Peace Crusade, 1815-1860'' (1929) [http://www.questia.com/read/102186879 online edition]
* "Non-Resistance in New England," ''The New England Quarterly'' Vol. 2, No. 1 (Jan., 1929), pp. 34-57 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0028-4866%28192901%292%3A1%3C34%3ANINE%3E2.0.CO%3B2-R in JSTOR]
* "Non-Resistance in New England," ''The New England Quarterly'' Vol. 2, No. 1 (Jan., 1929), pp. 34–57 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0028-4866%28192901%292%3A1%3C34%3ANINE%3E2.0.CO%3B2-R in JSTOR]
*''Bryan and World Peace.'' Northampton, Mass.: Smith College Studies in History, (1931).
*''Bryan and World Peace.'' Northampton, Mass.: Smith College Studies in History, (1931).
* "Robert Rantoul, Jr., The Reformer in Politics," ''The New England Quarterly'' Vol. 5, No. 2 (Apr., 1932), pp. 264-280 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0028-4866%28193204%295%3A2%3C264%3ARRJTRI%3E2.0.CO%3B2-J in JSTOR]
* "Robert Rantoul, Jr., The Reformer in Politics," ''The New England Quarterly'' Vol. 5, No. 2 (Apr., 1932), pp. 264–280 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0028-4866%28193204%295%3A2%3C264%3ARRJTRI%3E2.0.CO%3B2-J in JSTOR]
* ''The Social ideas of American Educators'' (1932, expanded ed. 1959)
* ''The Social ideas of American Educators'' (1932, expanded ed. 1959)
*''Peace or War: The American Struggle.'' (1936). [http://www.amazon.com/Peace-War-American-Struggle-1636-1936/dp/1406744077/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1195897616&sr=8-10 excerpt and text search]
*''Peace or War: The American Struggle.'' (1936). [http://www.amazon.com/Peace-War-American-Struggle-1636-1936/dp/1406744077/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1195897616&sr=8-10 excerpt and text search]
* "The Great Mr. Locke: America's Philosopher, 1783-1861," ''The Huntington Library Bulletin'' No. 11 (Apr., 1937), pp. 107-151 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=1935-0708%28193704%290%3A11%3C107%3ATGMLAP%3E2.0.CO%3B2-D in JSTOR]
* "The Great Mr. Locke: America's Philosopher, 1783-1861," ''The Huntington Library Bulletin'' No. 11 (Apr., 1937), pp. 107–151 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=1935-0708%28193704%290%3A11%3C107%3ATGMLAP%3E2.0.CO%3B2-D in JSTOR]
* "Public Opinion and the Study of History," ''The Public Opinion Quarterly'' Vol. 1, No. 2 (Apr., 1937), pp. 84-87 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0033-362X%28193704%291%3A2%3C84%3APOATSO%3E2.0.CO%3B2-8 in JSTOR]
* "Public Opinion and the Study of History," ''The Public Opinion Quarterly'' Vol. 1, No. 2 (Apr., 1937), pp. 84–87 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0033-362X%28193704%291%3A2%3C84%3APOATSO%3E2.0.CO%3B2-8 in JSTOR]
* "Francis Lieber and Nationalism," ''The Huntington Library Quarterly'' Vol. 4, No. 3 (Apr., 1941), pp. 263-292 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0018-7895%28194104%294%3A3%3C263%3AFLAN%3E2.0.CO%3B2-8 in JSTOR]
* "Francis Lieber and Nationalism," ''The Huntington Library Quarterly'' Vol. 4, No. 3 (Apr., 1941), pp. 263–292 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0018-7895%28194104%294%3A3%3C263%3AFLAN%3E2.0.CO%3B2-8 in JSTOR]
* "The American Scholar in Three Wars," ''Journal of the History of Ideas,'' Vol. 3, No. 3 (Jun., 1942), pp. 241-264 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0022-5037(194206)3%3A3%3C241%3ATASITW%3E2.0.CO%3B2-8 in JSTOR]
* "The American Scholar in Three Wars," ''Journal of the History of Ideas,'' Vol. 3, No. 3 (Jun., 1942), pp. 241–264 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0022-5037(194206)3%3A3%3C241%3ATASITW%3E2.0.CO%3B2-8 in JSTOR]
*''The Growth of American Thought.'' (1943, 1951), 912pp. [http://www.questia.com/library/book/the-growth-of-american-thought-by-merle-curti.jsp online edition]
*''The Growth of American Thought.'' (1943, 1951), 912pp. [http://www.questia.com/library/book/the-growth-of-american-thought-by-merle-curti.jsp online edition]
* ''The University of Wisconsin A History 1848-1925'' (2 vol 1949) with Vernon Carstenson
* ''The University of Wisconsin A History 1848-1925'' (2 vol 1949) with Vernon Carstenson
* ''The Roots of American Loyalty'' (1946) [http://www.questia.com/library/book/the-roots-of-american-loyalty-by-merle-curti.jsp online edition]
* ''The Roots of American Loyalty'' (1946) [http://www.questia.com/library/book/the-roots-of-american-loyalty-by-merle-curti.jsp online edition]
* "The Reputation of America Overseas (1776-1860)," ''American Quarterly'' Vol. 1, No. 1 (Spring, 1949), pp. 58-82 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0003-0678%28194921%291%3A1%3C58%3ATROAO%28%3E2.0.CO%3B2-%23 in JSTOR]
* "The Reputation of America Overseas (1776-1860)," ''American Quarterly'' Vol. 1, No. 1 (Spring, 1949), pp. 58–82 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0003-0678%28194921%291%3A1%3C58%3ATROAO%28%3E2.0.CO%3B2-%23 in JSTOR]
* "America at the World Fairs, 1851-1893," ''The American Historical Review'' Vol. 55, No. 4 (Jul., 1950), pp. 833-856 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0002-8762%28195007%2955%3A4%3C833%3AAATWF1%3E2.0.CO%3B2-O in JSTOR]
* "America at the World Fairs, 1851-1893," ''The American Historical Review'' Vol. 55, No. 4 (Jul., 1950), pp. 833–856 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0002-8762%28195007%2955%3A4%3C833%3AAATWF1%3E2.0.CO%3B2-O in JSTOR]
* "The Immigrant and the American Image in Europe, 1860-1914," with Kendall Birr; ''The Mississippi Valley Historical Review'' Vol. 37, No. 2 (Sep., 1950), pp. 203-230 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0161-391X%28195009%2937%3A2%3C203%3ATIATAI%3E2.0.CO%3B2-6 in JSTOR]
* "The Immigrant and the American Image in Europe, 1860-1914," with Kendall Birr; ''The Mississippi Valley Historical Review'' Vol. 37, No. 2 (Sep., 1950), pp. 203–230 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0161-391X%28195009%2937%3A2%3C203%3ATIATAI%3E2.0.CO%3B2-6 in JSTOR]
* "The Democratic Theme in American Historical Literature," ''The Mississippi Valley Historical Review'' Vol. 39, No. 1 (Jun., 1952), pp. 3-28, presidential address; [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0161-391X%28195206%2939%3A1%3C3%3ATDTIAH%3E2.0.CO%3B2-5 in JSTOR]
* "The Democratic Theme in American Historical Literature," ''The Mississippi Valley Historical Review'' Vol. 39, No. 1 (Jun., 1952), pp. 3–28, presidential address; [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0161-391X%28195206%2939%3A1%3C3%3ATDTIAH%3E2.0.CO%3B2-5 in JSTOR]
* "'The Flowery Flag Devils': The American Image in China 1840-1900." with John Stalker; ''Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society'' Vol. 96, No. 6 (Dec., 1952), pp. 663-690 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0003-049X%2819521220%2996%3A6%3C663%3A%22FFDTA%3E2.0.CO%3B2-I in JSTOR]
* "'The Flowery Flag Devils': The American Image in China 1840-1900." with John Stalker; ''Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society'' Vol. 96, No. 6 (Dec., 1952), pp. 663–690 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0003-049X%2819521220%2996%3A6%3C663%3A%22FFDTA%3E2.0.CO%3B2-I in JSTOR]
* "Human Nature in American Thought," ''Political Science Quarterly'' Vol. 68, No. 3 (Sep., 1953), pp. 354-375 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0032-3195%28195309%2968%3A3%3C354%3AHNIAT%3E2.0.CO%3B2-P in JSTOR]
* "Human Nature in American Thought," ''Political Science Quarterly'' Vol. 68, No. 3 (Sep., 1953), pp. 354–375 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0032-3195%28195309%2968%3A3%3C354%3AHNIAT%3E2.0.CO%3B2-P in JSTOR]
* "Human Nature in American Thought: Retreat from Reason in the Age of Science," ''Political Science Quarterly'' Vol. 68, No. 4 (Dec., 1953), pp. 492-510 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0032-3195%28195312%2968%3A4%3C492%3AHNIATR%3E2.0.CO%3B2-T in JSTOR]
* "Human Nature in American Thought: Retreat from Reason in the Age of Science," ''Political Science Quarterly'' Vol. 68, No. 4 (Dec., 1953), pp. 492–510 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0032-3195%28195312%2968%3A4%3C492%3AHNIATR%3E2.0.CO%3B2-T in JSTOR]
* "Intellectuals and Other People," ''The American Historical Review'' Vol. 60, No. 2 (Jan., 1955), pp. 259-282, presidential address [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0002-8762%28195501%2960%3A2%3C259%3AIAOP%3E2.0.CO%3B2-O in JSTOR]
* "Intellectuals and Other People," ''The American Historical Review'' Vol. 60, No. 2 (Jan., 1955), pp. 259–282, presidential address [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0002-8762%28195501%2960%3A2%3C259%3AIAOP%3E2.0.CO%3B2-O in JSTOR]
* "Woodrow Wilson's Concept of Human Nature," ''Midwest Journal of Political Science'' Vol. 1, No. 1 (May, 1957), pp. 1-19 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0026-3397%28195705%291%3A1%3C1%3AWWCOHN%3E2.0.CO%3B2-7 in JSTOR]
* "Woodrow Wilson's Concept of Human Nature," ''Midwest Journal of Political Science'' Vol. 1, No. 1 (May, 1957), pp. 1–19 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0026-3397%28195705%291%3A1%3C1%3AWWCOHN%3E2.0.CO%3B2-7 in JSTOR]
* "American Philanthropy and the National Character," ''American Quarterly'' Vol. 10, No. 4 (Winter, 1958), pp. 420-437 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0003-0678%28195824%2910%3A4%3C420%3AAPATNC%3E2.0.CO%3B2-Q in JSTOR]
* "American Philanthropy and the National Character," ''American Quarterly'' Vol. 10, No. 4 (Winter, 1958), pp. 420–437 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0003-0678%28195824%2910%3A4%3C420%3AAPATNC%3E2.0.CO%3B2-Q in JSTOR]
*''The Making of an American Community: A Case Study of Democracy in a Frontier County.'' (1959).
*''The Making of an American Community: A Case Study of Democracy in a Frontier County.'' (1959).
* "Tradition and Innovation in American Philanthropy," ''Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society'' Vol. 105, No. 2 (Apr., 1961), pp. 146-156 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0003-049X%2819610421%29105%3A2%3C146%3ATAIIAP%3E2.0.CO%3B2-U in JSTOR]
* "Tradition and Innovation in American Philanthropy," ''Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society'' Vol. 105, No. 2 (Apr., 1961), pp. 146–156 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0003-049X%2819610421%29105%3A2%3C146%3ATAIIAP%3E2.0.CO%3B2-U in JSTOR]
* "Jane Addams on Human Nature," ''Journal of the History of Ideas'' Vol. 22, No. 2 (Apr., 1961), pp. 240-253 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0022-5037%28196104%2F06%2922%3A2%3C240%3AJAOHN%3E2.0.CO%3B2-G in JSTOR]
* "Jane Addams on Human Nature," ''Journal of the History of Ideas'' Vol. 22, No. 2 (Apr., 1961), pp. 240–253 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0022-5037%28196104%2F06%2922%3A2%3C240%3AJAOHN%3E2.0.CO%3B2-G in JSTOR]
* "The Changing Concept of "Human Nature" in the Literature of American Advertising," ''The Business History Review'' Vol. 41, No. 4 (Winter, 1967), pp. 335-357, illustrated; [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0007-6805%28196724%2941%3A4%3C335%3ATCCO%22N%3E2.0.CO%3B2-R in JSTOR]
* "The Changing Concept of "Human Nature" in the Literature of American Advertising," ''The Business History Review'' Vol. 41, No. 4 (Winter, 1967), pp. 335-357, illustrated; [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0007-6805%28196724%2941%3A4%3C335%3ATCCO%22N%3E2.0.CO%3B2-R in JSTOR]
* ''Human Nature in American Thought: A History'' (1980)
* ''Human Nature in American Thought: A History'' (1980)