Lawrence H. Gipson
Encyclopedia
Lawrence Henry Gipson was an American historian, who won the 1950 Bancroft Prize
and the 1962 Pulitzer Prize for History
. He is best known as a leader of the "Imperial school"
of historians who studied the British Empire from the perspective of London officials, and generally praised the administrative efficiency and political fairness of the Empire .
, Gipson moved with his family to Caldwell
, Idaho as a boy. After dropping out of high school, he worked at various odd jobs (such as mining and driving stage coaches), as well as at the family business, Caxton Press
, which published Idaho Odd Fellow, the Gem State Rural and Livestock Farmer.
Gipson graduated from the University of Idaho
in 1903. He was then selected to be one of the first Rhodes Scholars. Receiving his B.A. from Oxford University in 1907 he said: "One disadvantage that our first delegation of Rhodes Scholars labored under was the fact that we attracted so much attention. I am sure that no subsequent group was ever the object of such intense curiosity. Almost inevitably we were made conscious that each of us was on trial, especially in the eyes of the scholarly world. We were even made to feel that in a sense the reputation of American scholarship was in our hands."
Returning to the United States, Gipson taught at The College of Idaho for three years and, in 1909, married Jeannette Reed (who died in 1967). He then attended Yale University
as a Farnham Fellow from 1910 to 1911 before being named head of the history department at Wabash College
, a position he held until 1924. While teaching at Wabash, he received his Ph.D. from Yale University, in 1918. He studied with the eminent colonialist Charles M. Andrews and received the university's John Addison Porter
Prize for that year.
, a position he held until his death. There he wrote the 15-volume series The British Empire Before the American Revolution, (15 vol., 1936-70), completing the final volume only shortly before his death. Three of the volumes were given significant historical prizes:
Gipson's ashes were buried in Caldwell. He left his entire estate to Lehigh University, providing the core funding for the Gipson Institute
Bancroft Prize
The Bancroft Prize is awarded each year by the trustees of Columbia University for books about diplomacy or the history of the Americas. It was established in 1948 by a bequest from Frederic Bancroft...
and the 1962 Pulitzer Prize for History
Pulitzer Prize for History
The Pulitzer Prize for History has been awarded since 1917 for a distinguished book upon the history of the United States. Many history books have also been awarded the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction and Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography...
. He is best known as a leader of the "Imperial school"
Historiography of the British Empire
The historiography of the British Empire refers to the studies, sources, critical methods and interpretations used by scholars to study the history of the British Empire. Scholars have long studied the Empire, looking at the causes for its formation, its relations to the French and other empires,...
of historians who studied the British Empire from the perspective of London officials, and generally praised the administrative efficiency and political fairness of the Empire .
Career
A native of Greeley, ColoradoGreeley, Colorado
The City of Greeley is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Weld County, Colorado, United States. Greeley is located in the region known as Northern Colorado. Greeley is situated north-northeast of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. According to the...
, Gipson moved with his family to Caldwell
Caldwell, Idaho
Caldwell is a city in and the county seat of Canyon County, Idaho, United States. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the population to be 43,281, as of July 2009.Caldwell is the home of the College of Idaho. It is considered part of the Boise metropolitan area....
, Idaho as a boy. After dropping out of high school, he worked at various odd jobs (such as mining and driving stage coaches), as well as at the family business, Caxton Press
Caxton Press (United States)
Caxton Press, a book publisher since 1925, is located in Caldwell, Idaho, the United States. It is also a distributor of books from University of Idaho Press, Black Canyon Communications, Snake Country Publishing, Historic Idaho Series and Alpha Omega Publishing. It was founded by J.H...
, which published Idaho Odd Fellow, the Gem State Rural and Livestock Farmer.
Gipson graduated from the University of Idaho
University of Idaho
The University of Idaho is the State of Idaho's flagship and oldest public university, located in the rural city of Moscow in Latah County in the northern portion of the state...
in 1903. He was then selected to be one of the first Rhodes Scholars. Receiving his B.A. from Oxford University in 1907 he said: "One disadvantage that our first delegation of Rhodes Scholars labored under was the fact that we attracted so much attention. I am sure that no subsequent group was ever the object of such intense curiosity. Almost inevitably we were made conscious that each of us was on trial, especially in the eyes of the scholarly world. We were even made to feel that in a sense the reputation of American scholarship was in our hands."
Returning to the United States, Gipson taught at The College of Idaho for three years and, in 1909, married Jeannette Reed (who died in 1967). He then attended Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
as a Farnham Fellow from 1910 to 1911 before being named head of the history department at Wabash College
Wabash College
Wabash College is a small, private, liberal arts college for men, located in Crawfordsville, Indiana. Along with Hampden-Sydney College and Morehouse College, Wabash is one of only three remaining traditional all-men's liberal arts colleges in the United States.-History:Wabash College was founded...
, a position he held until 1924. While teaching at Wabash, he received his Ph.D. from Yale University, in 1918. He studied with the eminent colonialist Charles M. Andrews and received the university's John Addison Porter
John Addison Porter
John Addison Porter was an American Professor of Chemistry. He was born in Catskill, New York and died in New Haven, Connecticut...
Prize for that year.
Historian
In 1924, Gipson was appointed professor of history at Lehigh UniversityLehigh University
Lehigh University is a private, co-educational university located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the United States. It was established in 1865 by Asa Packer as a four-year technical school, but has grown to include studies in a wide variety of disciplines...
, a position he held until his death. There he wrote the 15-volume series The British Empire Before the American Revolution, (15 vol., 1936-70), completing the final volume only shortly before his death. Three of the volumes were given significant historical prizes:
- The Great War for the Empire: The Years of Defeat, 1754-1757 (volume 6): The 1948 Columbia UniversityColumbia UniversityColumbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
Loubat PrizeLoubat PrizeThe Loubat Prize was a pair of prizes awarded by Columbia University every five years between 1913 and 1958 for the best social science works in the English language about North America.The awards were established and endowed by Joseph Florimond, Duc de Loubat... - The Great War for the Empire: The Victorious Years, 1758-1760 (volume 7): The 1950 Bancroft Prize of the American Historical AssociationAmerican Historical AssociationThe American Historical Association is the oldest and largest society of historians and professors of history in the United States. Founded in 1884, the association promotes historical studies, the teaching of history, and the preservation of and access to historical materials...
- The Triumphant Empire: Thunderclouds Gather in the West, 1763-1766 (volume 10): The 1962 Pulitzer Prize
Gipson's ashes were buried in Caldwell. He left his entire estate to Lehigh University, providing the core funding for the Gipson Institute
See also
- Historiography of the British EmpireHistoriography of the British EmpireThe historiography of the British Empire refers to the studies, sources, critical methods and interpretations used by scholars to study the history of the British Empire. Scholars have long studied the Empire, looking at the causes for its formation, its relations to the French and other empires,...