Daniel J. Boorstin.

Daniel J. Boorstin (October 1, 1914 – February 28, 2004), a Jewish-American historian and writer, was the Librarian of Congress from 1975 until 1987. Image File history File links Daniel_Boorstin. ... Image File history File links Daniel_Boorstin. ... October 1 is the 274th day of the year (275th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1914 (MCMXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... February 28 is the 59th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... It has been designated the: International Year of Rice (by the United Nations) International Year to Commemorate the Struggle against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO) 2004 World Health Day topic was Road Safety (by World Health Organization) Year of the Monkey (by the Chinese calendar) See the world in... A Jewish American (also commonly American Jew) is an American (a citizen of the United States) of Jewish descent or religion who maintains a connection to the Jewish community, either through actively practicing Judaism or through cultural and historical affiliation. ... The Great Hall interior. ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1975 calendar). ... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Boorstin graduated with highest honors from Harvard, studied at Balliol College, Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar and earned his PhD. at Yale University. He was a lawyer and university professor. He also served as director of the National Museum of History and Technology of the Smithsonian Institution.Boorstin wrote more than 20 books, including a trilogy on the American experience and one on world intellectual history. The Americans: The Democratic Experience, the final book in the first trilogy, received the 1973 Pulitzer Prize in history. Boorstin also wrote the books The Discoverers and The Creators, a pair of books that attempt to survey the scientific and artistic histories of humanity respectively. Harvard University is a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, and a member of the Ivy League. ... Full name Balliol College Motto - Named after John de Balliol Previous names - Established 1263 Sister College St Johns College, Cambridge Master Andrew Graham (academic) Location Broad Street Undergraduates 403 Graduates 228 Homepage Boatclub Balliol College, founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford... Rhodes House in Oxford Rhodes Scholarships were created by Cecil John Rhodes. ... Yale University is a private university in New Haven, Connecticut. ... A lawyer is a person who advises clients in legal matters and represents them in courts of law and in other forms of dispute resolution. ... The National Museum of American History is a museum administered by the Smithsonian Institution and located in Washington, D.C., on the National Mall. ... The Smithsonian Institution Building or Castle on the National Mall serves as the Institutions headquarters. ... 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1973 calendar). ... The Pulitzer Prize for History has been awarded since 1917 for a distinguished book upon the history of the United States. ... Science is a body of verifiable empirical knowledge, a global community of scholars, and a set of techniques for investigating the universe known as the scientific method. ... Art history usually refers to the history of the visual arts. ...

Within the discipline of social theory, Boorstin’s 1962 book The Image: A guide to Pseudo-events in America is notable as it is considered by some to be an early, landmark attempt to describe aspects of American life that would later famously be termed hyperreality and postmodernity. In The Image, Boorstin describes shifts in American culture - mainly due to advertising - where the reproduction or simulation of an actual event becomes more important or 'real' than the event itself. He goes on to coin the term pseudo-event which describes events or activities that almost solely exist within the realm of advertisements or other forms of publicity, but largely did not actually occur in real life. The idea of Pseudo-events closely mirrors work done later by French postmodernists such as Jean Baudrillard and Guy Debord. The work was often used as a text in American sociology courses. Social theory refers to the use of abstract and often complex theoretical frameworks to explain and analyze social patterns and large-scale social structures. ... Hyperreality (not to be confused with surrealism) is a concept in semiotics and postmodern philosophy. ... Postmodernity (also called post-modernity or the postmodern condition) is a term used by philosophers, social scientists, art critics and social critics to refer to aspects of contemporary art, culture, economics and social conditions that are the result of the unique features of late 20th century and early 21st century... A pseudo-event is an event or activity that exists for the sole purpose of garnering media publicity and serves little to no other function in real life. ... Jean Baudrillard (born July 29, 1929) is a cultural theorist, philosopher, and sociologist. ... Guy Debord (born December 28, 1931; died November 30, 1994) was a writer, film maker, hypergraphist and founding member of the groups Lettrist International and Situationist International (SI). ... Social interactions of people and their consequences are the subject of sociology studies. ...

When President Gerald Ford nominated Boorstin to be Librarian of Congress, the nomination was supported by the Authors League of America but opposed by the American Library Association because Boorstin "was not a library administrator." The Senate confirmed the nomination without debate. For the pop band, see Presidents of the United States of America. ... Gerald Rudolph Ford, Jr. ... The American Library Association (ALA) promotes libraries and library education in the United States and internationally. ... Seal of the Senate The United States Senate is one of the two chambers of the Congress of the United States, the other being the House of Representatives. ...

During his term as Librarian of Congress, Boorstin established the Center for the Book to encourage reading and literacy. In addition, he spearheaded what became a 10-year project to completely renovate the Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress, restoring the main building to its original 1897 condition. He became Librarian of Congress Emeritus on August 4, 1987. Boorstin was born in Atlanta, Georgia and died in Washington, D.C. The Center for the Book was founded in 1977 by Daniel J. Boorstin, the Librarian of Congress, in order to use the Library of Congress to promote literacy, libraries, and reading in general, as well as an understanding of the history and heritage of American literature. ... The Great Hall interior. ... 1897 (MDCCCXCVII) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... August 4 is the 216th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (217th in leap years), with 149 days remaining. ... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nickname: The Horizon City, A B, The Big Peach, A-Town, The ATL Official website: http://www. ... Nickname: the District Motto: Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All) Official website: http://www. ...

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

Daniel J. Boorstin

• United States Library of Congress official site
• Center for the Book
• Daniel Boorstin papers collection