Charles A. Beard

Charles Austin Beard (1874–1948) was one of the most influential historians of the first half of the twentieth century. A prolific writer, he published numerous books on history and political science. He co-founded Ruskin Hall, taught at Columbia University, and went on to found The New School. His most famous work, written with his wife, Mary Beard, was the bestselling The Rise of American Civilization (1927).