Alfred Whitney Griswold
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Alfred Whitney Griswold (27 October 1906 - 19 April 1963) was an American historian and educator, and President of Yale University.
Born in Morristown, New Jersey, he obtained his B.A. from Yale University in 1929, where he was a member of Wolf's Head Society, and his Ph.D. in 1933, becoming assistant professor. He was President of Yale University from 1951 to 1963.
He was arguably Yale's first "modern president," and embodied a charismatic authority. Griswold, in addition to being widely quoted in the national media for his championing of athletics, academic freedom, and the liberal arts against government intrusion, was "a master of the English language," according to Gaddis Smith.
He died, of cancer, in New Haven, Connecticut, and is buried in Grove Street Cemetery.
Ben Kiernan is now the A. Whitney Griswold Professor of History at Yale University.
“Books won't stay banned. They won't burn. Ideas won't go to jail.”
| Academic Offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Charles Seymour |
President of Yale University 1951–1963 |
Succeeded by Kingman Brewster, Jr. |
