Agar, Herbert

Herbert Sebastian Agar, born in 1897, was an American journalist and historian who also served as an editor for the Louisville Courier-Journal. He pursued higher education at Columbia and Princeton Universities, earning his Ph.D. from Princeton in 1924.

Agar gained significant recognition in 1934 when he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for History for his 1933 book, "The People's Choice," which offered a critical examination of American presidents. He was associated with the Southern Agrarians and co-edited "Who Owns America?" in 1936. Agar was also a proponent of a U.S. adaptation of the British distributist economic system. His 1950 book, "The Price of Union," was a favorite of John F. Kennedy and inspired Kennedy's book "Profiles in Courage." Agar passed away in England in 1980.

Herbert Agar's work often delved into the nature of American democracy and its leadership. His Pulitzer Prize-winning "The People's Choice" provided a critical perspective on the American presidency, examining the individuals who held the office. His association with the Southern Agrarians and his co-editorship of "Who Owns America?" placed him within intellectual circles concerned with agrarianism and societal structures. Furthermore, Agar advocated for an Americanized version of the British distributist socioeconomic model, suggesting an interest in alternative economic philosophies and their potential application within the United States.

Agar's historical writings had a notable impact on prominent political figures. "The Price of Union," published in 1950, became a favored book of John F. Kennedy. A specific passage within this work, detailing an act of courage by John Quincy Adams, directly inspired Kennedy's concept for his own Pulitzer Prize-winning book, "Profiles in Courage." This influence highlights Agar's ability to distill historical lessons and present them in a manner that resonated with and shaped contemporary political discourse and literary endeavors.