Professor Simon Schama CBE
Areas of Interest
Literature, MediaHonorary Award
Honorary Doctor of the University, 2007Biography
Simon Schama is a history and art history writer and broadcaster. He was a Fellow at Christ's College, Cambridge University from 1966-76 before becoming University Fellow and Tutor in Modern History at Brasenose College, Oxford. After spending 13 years at Harvard University as Professor, he moved to Columbia University as Professor of Art History and History where he now specialises in European cultural history and environmental history, and the history of art.
Professor Schama has made a substantial contribution to the understanding of the power of art, to an understanding of the complexities of European history, and to an understanding of British history, through television series and books such as Patriots and Liberators; The Embarrassment of Riches; Citizens; Dead Certainties, Landscape and Memory; and Rembrandt's Eyes. The factual TV series that Professor Schama both wrote and presented won him Best Television Contributor and Best Television Series awards; in particular he was praised for conveying subjects often considered dry in an engaging, accessible and innovative way. He has been an art critic for the New Yorker since 1995 and was made CBE in the 2001 New Year's Honours List. Simon's latest work, The American Future: A History, which is both a book and a television series, has just been released in Britain.
In 2007 Professor Simon Schama was awarded the Honorary degree of Doctor of the University.
Citation
"The Senate of Anglia Ruskin University has great pleasure in recommending the award of Honorary Doctorate of the University to history and art history writer and broadcaster Professor Simon Schama.
It is the mission of Anglia Ruskin University to promote the accessibility of the world of knowledge and learning to a wide student and societal clientele, in terms of flexible delivery and student centred pedagogies. Today, we do honour to Simon Schama for his work in bringing history and the history of art to mass audiences through his use of the media and his ability to present intricate subjects in a thoroughly approachable yet scholarly way.
Professor Schama, has made a substantial contribution to the understanding of the power of art, through a BBC Two series of the same name; to an understanding of the complexities of European history via a series of new books; and for taking British history to a wider audience with the success of his BBC Two series - A History of Britain, based on a penetrating discussion of landscape and memory.
He is author of Patriots and Liberators (which won the Wolfson Prize for History); The Embarrassment of Riches; Citizens (which won the 1990 NCR book award for non-fiction); Dead Certainties, Landscape and Memory (which won the WH Smith Literary Award in 1995); and Rembrandt's Eyes.
Professor Schama's factual TV series that he wrote and presented won him the best Television Contributor and Best Television series prizes. He was particularly praised for conveying subjects often considered dry in an engaging, accessible and innovative way.
These awards were added to two Broadcasting Press Guilds awards.
Born in London in 1945, Professor Schama was fellow at Christ's College, Cambridge University from 1966-76 before becoming University Fellow and Tutor in Modern History at Brasenose College, Oxford.
His formidable academic credentials were further enhanced by his move to the United States where he spent 13 years as Professor at Harvard University, before settling at Columbia University as Professor of Art History and History where he now specialises in European cultural history and environmental history, and the history of art. His courses have included the British Empire, English and French art and politics, the Gothic Revival in England, Ruskin and Victorian culture. In addition, he has been an art critic for the New Yorker since 1995 and was made CBE in the 2001 New Year's Honours List.
To acknowledge his unwavering contribution to outstanding historical scholarship and the dissemination of his exceptional knowledge to a wide range of audiences, I am exercising the power conferred on me by Senate, to invite the Vice Chancellor to bestow the award of Honorary Doctor of the University upon Professor Simon Schama."