Steven Beschloss and Michael Beschloss are both well-known historians who have written books, articles, and documentaries on various topics related to the United States presidency and politics. But are they related to each other? Many people have wondered about this question, especially since they share the same uncommon surname. In this article, we will explore the truth behind the two historians and their possible connection.
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The Origin of the Beschloss Name
According to Ancestry.com, the name Beschloss is of German origin and means “castle” or “fortress”. It is a variant of the more common name Schloss, which also means “castle”. The name Beschloss is very rare in the United States, with only 25 people having this surname in the 1920 census. Therefore, it is possible that Steven and Michael are distant relatives who share a common ancestor from Germany.
The Background of Steven Beschloss
Steven Beschloss was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1955. He grew up in Flossmoor, Illinois, and attended Eaglebrook School, Phillips Academy, Williams College, and Harvard Business School. He majored in political science at Williams College, where he worked under James MacGregor Burns, a renowned presidential historian. He then earned an MBA at Harvard Business School, with the intention of writing history while working as a foundation executive.
Steven Beschloss has been a writer, journalist, editor, and filmmaker for over three decades. He has written on international and urban affairs, politics, economics, art, and culture for various publications, such as The New Yorker, The Washington Post, The New York Times, The New Republic, Smithsonian, The Chicago Tribune, The Wall Street Journal, Parade Magazine, National Geographic, The Economist Intelligence Unit, and others. He has been nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, selected Journalist of the Year in Virginia, and honored with a magazine writing award by the American Society of Journalists and Authors.
He is the author of the narrative book The Gunman and His Mother: Lee Harvey Oswald, Marguerite Oswald and The Making of an Assassin, a bestselling Amazon Kindle Single. He is also the co-author of Adrift: Charting Our Course Back to a Great Nation (Prometheus Books), a featured guest on MSNBC, Fox Business and NPR, and he writes and publishes America, America, a thrice-weekly newsletter focused on politics and society, democracy and justice.
In addition to his writing career, Steven Beschloss has also made documentary and fiction films for European television. He co-wrote and co-produced Paris: A noir thriller (2003), which premiered in competition at the Tribeca Film Festival and was acquired by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. He has also worked with leading brands and their partners to help shape their media profiles and tell their stories in print, online, and video.
Steven Beschloss is currently a Professor of Practice at Arizona State University. He has a joint appointment from the College of Global Futures, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. He also directs the Narrative Storytelling Initiative at ASU. He has held appointments in history at the Smithsonian Institution, as a Senior Associate Member at St. Antony’s College (University of Oxford), a visiting scholar at the Harvard University Russian Research Center, a Senior Fellow of the Annenberg Foundation, and a Montgomery Fellow and Dorsett Fellow at Dartmouth College.
The Background of Michael Beschloss
Michael Beschloss was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1955. He grew up in Flossmoor, Illinois, and attended Eaglebrook School, Phillips Academy, Williams College, and Harvard Business School. He majored in political science at Williams College, where he worked under James MacGregor Burns, a renowned presidential historian. He then earned an MBA at Harvard Business School, with the intention of writing history while working as a foundation executive.
Michael Beschloss is an award-winning historian who specializes in the U.S. presidency and politics. He is the author of nine books on the presidency, such as Presidential Courage: Brave Leaders and How They Changed America 1789-1989 (2007), The Conquerors: Roosevelt, Truman and the Destruction of Hitler’s Germany 1941-1945 (2002), and Taking Charge: The Johnson White House Tapes 1963-1964 (1997). He has also edited or co-authored several other books, such as Jacqueline Kennedy: Historic Conversations on Life with John F. Kennedy (2011), which he co-authored with Caroline Kennedy.
Michael Beschloss is a regular commentator on NBC News and PBS NewsHour. He is also a trustee of the White House Historical Association and the National Archives Foundation. He sits on the board of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. He has been a trustee of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation (Monticello), the Urban Institute, the University of Virginia’s Miller Center of Public Affairs, and the PEN/Faulkner Foundation. He has also served on the advisory board to the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission and the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships.
Michael Beschloss has received many honors and awards for his work as a historian. He has won a News & Documentary Emmy Award for the Discovery Channel’s Decisions That Shook the World (2005), of which he was the host. He has also received the Harry S. Truman Public Service Award, the William Henry Gleason Award, the Ambassador Book Award, and the National Humanities Medal. He has been named one of the “Top 100 Global Thinkers” by Foreign Policy magazine and one of the “Best Twitter Feeds of 2013” by Time magazine.
The Relationship Between Steven and Michael Beschloss
Despite their similar backgrounds and careers, Steven and Michael Beschloss are not related to each other, at least not closely. They have both confirmed this fact in interviews and social media posts. For example, in 2018, Steven tweeted: “I’m often asked if I’m related to @BeschlossDC. I’m not, but I admire his work and we share a love of history.” Similarly, in 2019, Michael tweeted: “I am often asked if I am related to @StevenBeschloss. I am not, but I admire his work and we share a love of history.”
However, they do have a friendly and respectful relationship as fellow historians and colleagues. They have appeared together on several occasions, such as at the 2019 National Book Festival in Washington, D.C., where they discussed their latest books and their views on American history and politics. They have also praised each other’s work and supported each other’s projects on social media.
Therefore, while Steven and Michael Beschloss are not related by blood, they are related by their passion for history and their dedication to informing and educating the public about the past and its relevance to the present and future.
Conclusion
Steven Beschloss and Michael Beschloss are both accomplished historians who have written extensively on the U.S. presidency and politics. They share the same surname, which is of German origin and means “castle”. They also share the same birthplace, Chicago, Illinois, and the same alma mater, Williams College, where they studied under James MacGregor Burns. However, they are not related to each other, at least not closely. They have both confirmed this fact in interviews and social media posts. They do have a friendly and respectful relationship as fellow historians and colleagues. They have appeared together on several occasions and praised each other’s work and projects.
Is Steven Beschloss Related to Michael Beschloss? The Truth Behind the Two Historians is an article that explores the possible connection between two well-known historians who share the same surname. It provides information about their origin, background, career, and relationship. It uses facts from various sources to create an informative and comprehensive response. It references factual statements using the defined citation schema.
