Contact: James Carskadon
STARKVILLE, Miss.—The Army Historical Foundation is recognizing Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library scholars at Mississippi State University for their annotated version of the former president’s classic memoirs.
“The Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant: The Complete Annotated Edition” by MSU’s John F. Marszalek, David Nolen and Louis Gallo was one of six books to receive a 2017 Army Historical Foundation Distinguished Writing Award in June. The book was recognized in the “Journals, Memoirs, and Letters” category. Marszalek, MSU Giles Distinguished Professor Emeritus of History and Ulysses S. Grant Association executive director and managing editor, edited the book, along with Nolen and Gallo, Grant Association assistant editors.
Released in October 2017 by the Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, the annotated version of Grant’s memoirs contains over 2,000 footnotes that provide additional information and place Grant’s thoughts in the context of when he was writing.
Grant completed his memoirs at Mt. McGregor retreat in New York, days before his death in 1885 and at a time when he had lost all of his money in a Ponzi scheme. The memoirs, sold door-to-door by former Civil War soldiers, would go on to be hailed as one of the most important works of American nonfiction in the 19th century. Grant’s concise writing style approachable language have helped his memoirs remain accessible to audiences for generations after his death.
A life-size statue in MSU’s new Grant Presidential Library museum gallery depicts the Civil War general writing his memoirs. The gallery is part of a $10 million expansion to Mitchell Memorial Library, which also houses the Frank and Virginia Williams Collection of Lincolniana, as well as MSU’s Congressional and Political Research Center.
The award marks the second time Marszalek has been honored by the Army Historical Foundation. In 2016, he received a Distinguished Writing Award for his book, “The Best Writings of Ulysses S. Grant.”
The Army Historical Foundation, a non-profit, tax-exempt organization, is dedicated to preserving the history and heritage of the American soldier. Its goal is to promote greater public appreciation for the contributions that America’s Army – Active, Reserve, and National Guard – has made to the nation in 242 years of service. The Army Historical Foundation Distinguished Writing Awards program was established in 1997 to recognize authors who make a significant contribution to the literature on U.S. Army history. For more, visit www.armyhistory.org.
For more information on “The Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant: The Complete Annotated Edition” visit http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674976290.
MSU is one of six universities to house a U.S. presidential library. The Grant Presidential Library is open from 7:30 a.m. through 5 p.m. Monday-Friday and from 10 a.m. through 2 p.m. on Saturdays. Admission is free and open to the public. For more, visit www.usgrantlibrary.org.
MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.