Richard Lyman Bushman

Richard Lyman Bushman
Name	Richard Lyman Bushman
Birth date	November 5, 1931
Birth place	Boston, Massachusetts
Occupation	Historian, author, professor
Nationality	American
Notable works	Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling; King and People in Provincial Massachusetts

Richard Lyman Bushman Richard Lyman Bushman is an American historian and author known for scholarship on early American history and Mormon studies. He has combined work on colonial New England with influential biography and cultural analysis of Joseph Smith, contributing to debates in religious history, American historiography, and biographical studies. Bushman taught at Columbia University and Colgate University before a long tenure at Columbia University and later at Colgate University—he is most closely associated with Columbia University and Colgate University through his academic appointments and research collaborations.

Early life and education

Bushman was born in Boston, Massachusetts and raised in a family connected to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, with formative years spent near communities in Utah and New England. He attended Brigham Young University, where he engaged with curricula influenced by scholars at Yale University and Harvard University, before undertaking graduate work at Columbia University under advisers who were part of networks including scholars from Princeton University and Brown University. His doctoral studies focused on colonial New England, engaging primary collections from repositories such as the Massachusetts Historical Society and the American Antiquarian Society.

Academic career and scholarship

Bushman began his academic career teaching at Colgate University and later held a professorship at Columbia University, where he supervised graduate students who went on to positions at Harvard University, Yale University, Princeton University, and Stanford University. His scholarship sits at the intersection of work by historians such as Bernard Bailyn, Gordon S. Wood, Jill Lepore, and Edmund S. Morgan, drawing on methods employed by Carl Becker and Arthur Schlesinger Jr.. He contributed to journals like the William and Mary Quarterly, the Journal of American History, and the American Historical Review, engaging debates about John Winthrop, Samuel Sewall, Jonathan Edwards, and other figures of colonial America. Bushman also participated in collaborative projects with scholars from institutions including Rutgers University, University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Virginia.

Major works and contributions

Bushman published influential monographs such as King and People in Provincial Massachusetts and The Refinement of America, joining the historiographical conversation with works by Nathaniel Philbrick, Gordon S. Wood, and Bernard Bailyn. He is best known for Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling, a full-scale biography that intersects with literature on Alexander Hamilton biographies and comparative studies like those of Ron Chernow. His methodological contributions reflect approaches used by Joseph Ellis and Doris Kearns Goodwin in narrative history, emphasizing archival research in collections like the Library of Congress, the New York Public Library, and the American Philosophical Society. Bushman has edited volumes and written essays engaging topics related to Puritanism, Enlightenment, and the cultural history of New England alongside scholars such as Kathleen Brown and Caroline Winterer.

Mormon studies and views on Joseph Smith

In Mormon studies, Bushman became a central figure alongside historians like Jan Shipps, Richard P. Howard, D. Michael Quinn, and Terryl Givens, addressing controversies that involved institutions such as the LDS Church History Department and journals like the Journal of Mormon History and Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought. His biography of Joseph Smith situated Smith within contexts drawn from Second Great Awakening scholarship and comparative religious studies involving figures like Ellen White and Brigham Young. Bushman engaged with primary documents including the Doctrine and Covenants and Book of Mormon materials, analyzing issues debated by commentators from Fawn M. Brodie to C. F. M. Smith while dialoguing with critics and supporters in media outlets and academic forums connected to Princeton Theological Seminary and Harvard Divinity School.

Awards, honors, and professional affiliations

Bushman received awards and recognition from organizations such as the American Historical Association, the Organization of American Historians, and the Mormon History Association, and his books have been honored with prizes similar to those awarded by the Pulitzer Prize committees and the National Book Award juries in scope if not identical form. He has held fellowships from institutions like the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the American Council of Learned Societies, and served on editorial boards for publications associated with Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, and the University of Chicago Press. Bushman has been active in professional networks including the American Antiquarian Society and the Massachusetts Historical Society.

Personal life and family

Bushman is married and his family includes members who have been affiliated with institutions such as Brigham Young University, Columbia University, and Harvard University. He has engaged with communities connected to Salt Lake City and Boston, participating in events sponsored by organizations like the Smithsonian Institution and the New-York Historical Society. His personal papers and essays are held in archival collections that collaborate with repositories including the L. Tom Perry Special Collections and regional historical societies.

Category:American historians Category:Latter Day Saint writers Category:1931 births Category:Living people