Archibald Macleish

1892- 1982

Statesman

Archibald MacLeish was not only an accomplished poet and playwright, but a statesman as well. A graduate of Yale University and Harvard Law School, MacLeish left legal practice to travel to Paris in the 1920's. Toward the end of the decade, he returned to the United States, imbued with the fervor of social commitment which ultimately led him to join Franklin Roosevelt's administration.

He served in a number of positions, including Assistant Secretary of State in 1944-45. From 1949 to 1962, MacLeish was a chaired professor at Harvard. MacLeish was awarded three Pulitzer Prizes for his poetry and drama and also won the Bollingen Prize and a National Book Award.