Richard Norton Smith (born October 2, 1953) is an American historian and author, specializing in U.S. presidents and other political figures. In the past, he worked as a freelance writer for The Washington Post, and worked with U.S. Senators Edward Brooke and Bob Dole.
Born in Leominster, Massachusetts, in 1953, Smith graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University in 1975 with a degree in government. Following graduation he worked as a White House intern and as a freelance writer for The Washington Post. He became a speech-writer for Massachusetts Senator Edward Brooke, and then Senator Bob Dole, with whom he collaborated on numerous projects over the years.
Smith's first major book, Thomas E. Dewey and His Times, was a finalist for the 1983 Pulitzer Prize. He has also written An Uncommon Man: The Triumph of Herbert Hoover (1984); The Harvard Century: The Making of a University to a Nation (1986); and Patriarch: George Washington and the New American Nation (1993).[2] His 1997 biography of Robert R. McCormick, The Colonel: The Life and Legend of Robert R. McCormick received the Goldsmith Book Prize awarded by Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government in 1998.[3]
In 2009, Smith was invited by the US Congress to be one of two historians addressing it on the two-hundredth anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth. Earlier, he delivered a eulogy at Gerald Ford's Michigan funeral, a role he repeated at Betty Ford's request when she was buried beside her husband in 2011.
In 2014 Smith published On His Own Terms: A life of Nelson Rockefeller. Smith took 14 years to write the book and said that he spent about $250,000 of his own money on the project.[4] In an interview with C-SPAN, he said that Random House provided an advance of $50,000 for the book.[4]
Smith's most recent book, released in April 2023, is An Ordinary Man: The Surprising Life and Historic Presidency of Gerald R. Ford. In 2001 Mr. Smith created Presidents and Patriots History Tours. Twice a year he leads historical tours emphasizing American presidents and history seldom found in the text books.
Presidents and Patriots Tours, by Richard Norton Smith - Official Website
February 15, 2024
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This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification Please help by adding reliable sources Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately from the article and its talk page especially if potentially libelous Find sources Richard Norton Smith news newspapers books scholar JSTOR April 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message Richard Norton Smith born October 2 1953 is an American historian and author specializing in U S presidents and other political figures In the past he worked as a freelance writer for The Washington Post and worked with U S Senators Edward Brooke and Bob Dole Richard Norton SmithSmith in 2023Born 1953 10 02 October 2 1953 age 70 1 Leominster Massachusetts United StatesNationalityAmericanAlma materHarvard UniversityGenreshistory biography Contents 1 Early life and education 2 Career 3 Works 4 References 5 External linksEarly life and education editBorn in Leominster Massachusetts in 1953 Smith graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University in 1975 with a degree in government Following graduation he worked as a White House intern and as a freelance writer for The Washington Post He became a speech writer for Massachusetts Senator Edward Brooke and then Senator Bob Dole with whom he collaborated on numerous projects over the years Career edit nbsp Smith with President George W Bush First Lady Laura Bush Speaker Dennis Hastert and Ray LaHood at the dedication for the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in 2005Smith s first major book Thomas E Dewey and His Times was a finalist for the 1983 Pulitzer Prize He has also written An Uncommon Man The Triumph of Herbert Hoover 1984 The Harvard Century The Making of a University to a Nation 1986 and Patriarch George Washington and the New American Nation 1993 2 His 1997 biography of Robert R McCormick The Colonel The Life and Legend of Robert R McCormick received the Goldsmith Book Prize awarded by Harvard University s John F Kennedy School of Government in 1998 3 Between 1987 and 2001 Smith served as director of the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum in West Branch Iowa the Dwight D Eisenhower Center in Abilene Kansas the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and the Reagan Center for Public Affairs in Simi Valley California and the Gerald R Ford Museum and Library in Grand Rapids and Ann Arbor Michigan In December 2001 Smith became director of the Robert J Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas in Lawrence There he supervised construction of the Institute s permanent home and launched a Presidential Lecture Series and other programs In October 2003 he was appointed the first Executive Director of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum a four building complex in Springfield Illinois In 2009 Smith was invited by the US Congress to be one of two historians addressing it on the two hundredth anniversary of Abraham Lincoln s birth Earlier he delivered a eulogy at Gerald Ford s Michigan funeral a role he repeated at Betty Ford s request when she was buried beside her husband in 2011 In 2014 Smith published On His Own Terms A life of Nelson Rockefeller Smith took 14 years to write the book and said that he spent about 250 000 of his own money on the project 4 In an interview with C SPAN he said that Random House provided an advance of 50 000 for the book 4 Smith s most recent book released in April 2023 is An Ordinary Man The Surprising Life and Historic Presidency of Gerald R Ford In 2001 Mr Smith created Presidents and Patriots History Tours Twice a year he leads historical tours emphasizing American presidents and history seldom found in the text books Works editTitle Year ISBN Publisher Subject matter Interviews presentations and reviews CommentsThomas E Dewey and His Times 1982 ISBN 9780671417413 Simon amp Schuster Thomas E DeweyUncommon Man The Triumph of Herbert Hoover 1984 ISBN 9780671460341 Simon amp Schuster Herbert Hoover Q amp A interview with Smith on An Uncommon Man September 16 2018 C SPANPatriarch George Washington and the New American Nation 1993 ISBN 9780395524428 Houghton Mifflin George Washington Booknotes interview with Smith on Patriarch February 21 1993 C SPANInterview with Smith on Patriarch September 17 1998 C SPANThe Colonel The Life and Legend of Robert R McCormick 1997 ISBN 9780395533796 Houghton Mifflin Robert R McCormick Presentation by Smith on The Colonel June 16 1997 C SPANPresentation by Smith on The Colonel December 2 1997 C SPANOn His Own Terms A Life of Nelson Rockefeller 2014 ISBN 9780375505805 Random House Nelson Rockefeller Q amp A interview with Smith on On His Own Terms October 19 2014 C SPANPresentation by Smith on On His Own Terms October 27 2014 C SPANAn Ordinary Man The Surprising Life and Historic Presidency of Gerald R Ford 2023 ISBN 9780062684165 HarperCollins Gerald Ford Interview with Smith during his writing of An Ordinary Man June 24 2016 C SPANQ amp A interview with Smith on An Ordinary Man April 30 2023 C SPANReferences edit Historian Richard Norton Smith Part 1 C SPAN org C span org Retrieved 5 April 2022 Patriarch Booknotes interview on C SPAN February 21 1993 Retrieved January 3 2010 Goldsmith Book Prize John F Kennedy School of Government Retrieved January 3 2010 a b Brian Lamb Q amp A C SPAN October 19 2014 External links editRichard Norton Smith Official Website Appearances on C SPAN Presidents and Patriots Tours by Richard Norton Smith Official Website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Richard Norton Smith amp oldid 1167557996, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
