Before she was a Pulitzer Prize winner, Doris Kearns Goodwin taught Government at Harvard for ten years. She later became a world-renowned presidential biographer, historian and political commentator. Her books have enjoyed lengthy stays on the New York Times bestseller list and have been made into movies by none other than Steven Spielberg.
Doris earned a Ph.D. in Government from Harvard and became a White House Fellow at the ripe old age of 24, working directly with President Lyndon Johnson. She was in line to be Johnson’s Oval Office assistant, until the President learned that she had been actively involved in the anti-Vietnam War movement and had written an article entitled, “How to Dump Lyndon Johnson.”
“I thought for sure he would kick me out of the program,” Doris said, in her 1998 commencement address at Dartmouth, “but instead he said, ‘Oh, bring her down here for a year and if I can't win her over, no one can.’” She was assigned to the Department of Labor, and later, after Johnson decided not to run for reelection, she became a member of his staff. After Johnson left office, Doris taught government at Harvard, but on weekends and holidays she traveled to Johnson's ranch in Texas, to assist in the preparation of his memoir, The Vantage Point (1971). In 1977, she published her first book, Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream, based on her personal conversations with the late president. It became a New York Times bestseller and Book of The Month Club selection.
Presidential Biographies
With the success of the Lyndon Johnson book, Doris had launched a distinguished career as America’s foremost presidential biographer. Other works include:
The Fitzgeralds and the Kennedys: An American Saga
In 1975, Doris Kearns married Richard Goodwin, who had been an advisor to Presidents Kennedy and Johnson. With her husband's assistance, she produced The Fitzgeralds and The Kennedys, which ran on the New York Times bestseller list for five months and was also made into an award-winning ABC miniseries.
Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln
This work, describing Lincoln's rise from obscurity to gain the presidency, won the Lincoln Prize and the inaugural Book Prize for American History. Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning writer Tony Kushner adapted Team of Rivals as a script for Steven Spielberg’s box-office hit Lincoln. The film grossed $275 million and earned 12 Academy Award nominations, including the Best Actor award for Daniel Day-Lewis.
The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism
Following his success with Lincoln, Spielberg acquired the film and television rights to Doris’ The Bully Pulpit, a dynamic history of Teddy Roosevelt and the tumultuous Progressive era.
No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II
Doris earned her Pulitzer a result of No Ordinary Time, which also won an impressive number of other acclaimed literary awards.
Political Commentator
Doris is often called upon to provide a historical perspective for televised political discussions. She
is well-known for her appearances on a wide variety of networks, and shows such as Meet the Press, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Tonight Show, etc. Participants in Envision’s Chase the Race 2016 curriculum and live event coverage may be interested to watch video clips of her commentary on the current presidential election, as seen on:
- Fox News' Your World show, in which Doris and Neal Cavuto discuss the historical significance of the coming election and the possibility of another brokered convention. "I could not have predicted where we are now – I don't think any of us could,” Doris remarked. “It's easier for me to look back to 1860 than it is to look to 2016."
- MSNBC’s Morning Joe, during which Doris talks with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump about money in politics, and leadership. She asks Trump: “From the guys I’ve studied – FDR, Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, LBJ – one of their greatest traits is their ability, when they make a mistake, to learn from the mistake, acknowledge it and grow. What would you say is the biggest mistake you’ve made and what you’ve learned from it that will help you now?” You’ll hear Trump’s answer in this video clip.
And finally, proving that she’s a good sport as well as a good historian, don’t miss this clip of Doris enjoying the best entrance ever to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, in which he refers to her as "America's most respected presidential historian." You’ll also hear her explanation of why Abraham Lincoln was “sexy.”
And Now She’s…
Doris is currently writing a new book on presidential leadership. She lives with her husband in Concord, MA, but travels extensively for public speaking appearances.
You can meet Doris at an upcoming event:
03/15/16
Employment Law & Legislative Conference
Washington, DC
3/30/16
Drew University
Madison, NJ
03/31/16
Wellesley Country Club
Wellesley, MA
04/07/16
Seattle Pacific University
Seattle, WA
04/20/16
Economic Club of Southwestern Michigan Speaker Series
Benton Harbor, MI
4/22/16
Tulsa Town Hall
Tulsa, OK
05/03/16
FS-ISAC Annual Summit
Miami Beach, FL
05/19/16
Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts
Raleigh, NC
For more information, visit the Events section of the Doris Kearns Goodwin website.
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