Oscar Handlin was an American historian. As a professor of history at Harvard University for over 50 years, he directed 80 PhD dissertations and helped promote social and ethnic history, virtually inventing the field of immigration history in the 1950s. Handlin won the 1952 Pulitzer Prize for History for The Uprooted (1951). Handlin's 1965 testimony before Congress played an important role in passage of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 that abolished the discriminatory immigration quota system. According to historian James Grossman, "He reoriented the whole picture of the American story from the view that America was built on the spirit of the Wild West, to the idea that we are a nation of immigrants."
Oscar Handlin, American historian and academic (died 2011)
On September 29, in the year 1915, Oscar Handlin, American historian and academic (died 2011). This event is recorded as a Notable Births event in the history of September 29, one of 471 recorded events on this date across all of history.
1 notable person is associated with this event, including Oscar Handlin. Learn more below.
Key Facts
- This event took place on September 29, 1915 (AD era).
- It is categorised as a Notable Births event in recorded history.
- Referenced in 1 Wikipedia article.
- 1 notable person is recorded as involved in or associated with this event.
- Wikipedia source last updated on 2 September 2026.
On This Date in History 471
This article draws on content from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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