Well known in naval circles for his Maritime History of Massachusetts and for his biographies of Columbus (Admiral of the Ocean Sea) and John Paul Jones (A Sailor’s Biography), Admiral Morison’s most famous achievement was his multi-volume History of U.S. Naval Operations in World War II, made possible by President Roosevelt’s commissioning him as a lieutenant commander and giving him carte blanche access to the events as they were happening during the war. Morison was later named the Jonathan Trumbull Professor of American History at Harvard University and ultimately retired as a rear admiral in 1951. He was the recipient of two Pulitzer Prizes, two Bancroft Prizes, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
