| Richard Polenberg | |
| Birth Name: | Richard D. Polenberg |
| Birth Date: | 21 July 1937 |
| Birth Place: | Ithaca, New York, U.S. |
| Death Place: | Ithaca, New York, U.S. |
| Nationality: | American |
| Doctoral Advisor: | William E. Leuchtenburg |
| Discipline: | History |
| Sub Discipline: | American history |
| Workplaces: | Cornell University |
| Doctoral Students: | Kevin M. Kruse |
Richard Polenberg (July 21, 1937 – November 26, 2020) was an American historian.[1]
Richard Polenberg was born in Ithaca, New York, on July 21, 1937. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Brooklyn College and his Doctor of Philosophy degree from Columbia University, the latter supervised by William E. Leuchtenburg.
Polenberg taught history at Cornell University for 45 years, from 1966 to 2011;[2] In 1986, he became Goldwin Smith Professor of American History.[1] After retiring, he became the Marie Underhill Noll Professor of History Emeritus.[3] In retirement, he also taught in the Auburn Correctional Facility as a part of the Cornell prison education program.[4]
Polenberg died at his home in Ithaca, New York, on November 26, 2020, at the age of 83.[5] [6]
Former student Tom Allen wrote of Polenberg:
In 1981, sitting in the fourth row at cavernous Bailey Hall, I watched the masterful Professor Polenberg pace the stage for about one hour telling compelling stories from American history in the mid-20th century. His lectures were so interesting and so fluid that it was hard to take proper notes and absorb his unique storytelling powers at the same time.
Alger Hiss. The Rosenbergs. Roy Cohn. JFK. Lyndon Johnson's civil rights victories.
This parade of American history leapt off the stage and in his mellifluous style, Polenberg riveted over 1000 students in the auditorium.[6]
Polenberg published several works during this period, the majority concerning the 20th-century US.[7]