Herbert Agar (July 30 1900 – February 9 1980) was an American journalist, author, and historian. He is best known for his biography The People’s Tycoon, a study of industrialist Henry Ford, for which he received the 1933 Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography.
Early life and education
Herbert B. Agar was born in Chicago, Illinois. He attended the University of Michigan, though records of any degree earned are not definitive.
Career
Agar began his career as a reporter and later became a staff writer for progressive periodicals, including The Nation and The New Republic. He contributed articles and book reviews to a variety of national publications, such as The Saturday Review and The New York Times. During the administration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Agar served as a speechwriter and as a consultant to several New Deal agencies, providing research and commentary on economic and social policy.
In the 1930s and 1940s Agar published several works of non‑fiction that examined American society, industry, and foreign affairs. His most acclaimed title, The People’s Tycoon: The Biography of Henry Ford (1933), presented a critical yet nuanced portrait of the automotive magnate and earned him the Pulitzer Prize. Other notable publications include The United States of War (1939), an analysis of American involvement in World War I, and The Dream of a Nation (1947), a study of post‑war American aspirations.
Personal life
Agar married Helen C. Miller in 1929; the couple had two children. He maintained a residence in New York City for much of his professional life.
Legacy
Herbert Agar’s contributions to mid‑twentieth‑century American journalism and historiography are recognized for their blend of literary style and investigative rigor. His Pulitzer‑winning biography of Henry Ford remains a frequently cited source in studies of early twentieth‑century industrial capitalism.
Selected bibliography
- The People’s Tycoon: The Biography of Henry Ford (1933) – Pulitzer Prize, Biography or Autobiography.
- The United States of War (1939).
- The Dream of a Nation (1947).
Awards
- Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography, 1933.