Archibald MacLeish served as the ninth Librarian of Congress, a tenure that began in 1939 under the administration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. A versatile intellectual, he navigated a career that spanned legal practice in Boston, modernist poetry, and high-level public service, eventually securing three Pulitzer Prizes for his significant contributions to American literature and drama.
Early Development and Legal Career
Born in Glencoe, Illinois, in 1892, MacLeish attended the Hotchkiss School before moving to Yale University, where he joined the Phi Beta Kappa Society. He continued his education at Harvard Law School and served as an editor for the Harvard Law Review. His trajectory shifted during World War I, where he served as an ambulance driver and later an artillery officer, participating in the Second Battle of the Marne. Following the war, he practiced law for three years at the Boston firm Choate, Hall & Stewart.
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In 1923, MacLeish relocated to Paris, integrating into a circle of expatriate writers that included Gertrude Stein and Ernest Hemingway. He published his long poem Einstein with the Black Sun Press before returning to the United States in 1928. From 1929 to 1938, he contributed to Fortune magazine. His poem Conquistador, which explored the conquest of the Aztecs, earned him his first Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1933. He also collaborated on the 1934 ballet Union Pacific and the 1938 work Land of the Free, a collaboration featuring photographs by figures including Walker Evans and Dorothea Lange.
Librarian of Congress and Public Service
MacLeish's appointment as Librarian of Congress in 1939 was initially met with political resistance in the Senate. Despite claims regarding his political leanings, he was confirmed with the support of Senate Majority Leader Alben Barkley. During his five-year tenure, he initiated significant organizational changes through staff committees and administrative reforms. Following his library service, he held the Boylston Professor of Rhetoric and Oratory position at Harvard University from 1949 to 1962.
Awards and Legacy
MacLeish received extensive recognition for his work in both poetry and drama. His accolades include the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1933 and 1953, the Bollingen Prize in 1952, and the National Book Award in 1953. His play, The Fall of the City, remains one of his most recognized works. In 1959, he was honored with a Tony Award for Best Play and a third Pulitzer Prize, this one for Drama. He was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, eventually receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977. He died in Boston in 1982 and was buried at Pine Grove Cemetery.
Fast facts
- Born: 1892, Glencoe
- Died: 1982, Boston
- Education: Yale University, Harvard Law School
- Librarian of Congress: 1939-1944
- Pulitzer Prizes: 1933, 1953, 1959
- Presidential Medal of Freedom: 1977
- Burial place: Pine Grove Cemetery
Questions readers ask
What was Archibald MacLeish's professional background?
He was a multifaceted professional who worked as a lawyer, poet, playwright, university teacher, essayist, and the Librarian of Congress.
How many Pulitzer Prizes did he win?
MacLeish was awarded three Pulitzer Prizes: two for poetry (1933, 1953) and one for drama (1959).
Achievements
- Pulitzer Prize for Drama — 1959
- Rome Prize — 1957
- Bollingen Prize — 1952
- Presidential Medal of Freedom — 1977
- Pulitzer Prize for Poetry — 1953
- Notable work: The Fall of the City
