Class News
Storied Professor John Morton Blum Dies
Yale Daily News
October 18, 2011
John Morton Blum, an eminent Yale historian who taught the likes of
former President George W. Bush '68, U.S. Sen. John Kerry ‘66, and former
Yale professor Henry Louis Gates '73, has passed away in North Branford,
CT. He was 90.
Blum, a Harvard man, joined Yale's History Department in 1957. A former
chair of the department, Blum was regarded by many as one of the most
distinguished and esteemed historians and craftsman in political
history.
"John was a great citizen of Yale, a pioneer in helping us understand
the meaning of equality in America, and he embodied what it means to be
a historian engaged in the public world," professor David Blight wrote
in an email Monday.
Blum, who published numerous books in the past four decades that covered
a wide variety of topics, including the Wilson Era, Progressive
Presidents, discord in American politics and society, retired in 1991.
Despite his retirement, Blum continued to publish, give interviews and
appear in historical documentaries well into his 80s. His teaching left
an impression on Bush, as the former president mentioned Blum in a 2001
Class Day speech:
As a student, I tried to keep a low profile. It worked. Last year
the New York Times interviewed John Morton Blum because the record
showed I had taken one of his courses. Casting his mind's eye over
the parade of young faces down through the years, Professor Blum
said, and I quote, "I don't have the foggiest recollection of him."
[Laughter]
But I remember Professor Blum. And I still recall his dedication and
high standards of learning. In my time there were many great
professors at Yale, and there still are.
Blum is survived by his wife of 65 years, Pamela, and their three children. A memorial service will be held in November.