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About
Bert James Loewenberg (December 24, 1905 – August 13, 1974) was an American historian and leading scholar of American intellectual history and Darwinism. Born in Massachusetts, he earned a B.A. (1926) and M.A. (1927) from Clark University, an A.M. (1930) and a Ph.D. from Harvard University. Loewenberg taught history at Sarah Lawrence College from 1942 to 1971, retiring as Esther Raushenbush Professor of History Emeritus. He served as Director of the Center for Continuing Education (1965–1969), founded the Sarah Lawrence Journal (board member 1966–1970), co-taught interdisciplinary social science courses, and led student trips to the Tennessee Valley focusing on race relations and Southern rural life. Known for his engaging and humorous teaching style, he was targeted during the McCarthy-era investigations into academic freedom but continued his academic career. He held a Fulbright professorship at the Universities of Leeds and Cambridge, was a Phi Beta Kappa member, and received an honorary degree from Clark University. Loewenberg authored or co-authored works such as "Darwinism Comes to America, 1859–1900," "American History in American Thought: Christopher Columbus to Henry Adams," "Darwinism: Reform or Reaction," and edited "Black Women in Nineteenth-Century American Life" with Ruth Bogin. He was the father of Robert J. Loewenberg and died at his home in Orange, Connecticut.