Harvey Mansfield, Noted American Author and Political Theorist, to Deliver the 2007 Jefferson Lecture in the Humanities

Harvey Mansfield, one of America's leading political scientists and a widely published author, will deliver the 2007 Jefferson Lecture in the Humanities, the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) announced today. The annual NEH-sponsored Jefferson Lecture is the most prestigious honor the federal government bestows for distinguished intellectual achievement in the humanities.

"With a distinguished career of thoughtful-and thought-provoking-discourse on political theory and higher education, Harvey Mansfield has captivated his readers and students with the strength of his convictions and the depth of his courage," said NEH Chairman Bruce Cole. "This prolific author and engaging teacher offers a truly distinctive perspective on political thought and practice."

Mansfield, the William R. Kenan, Jr., Professor of Government at Harvard, will present the 36th Jefferson Lecture in the Humanities on Tuesday, May 8, at 7:30 p.m. at the Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C., on "How to Understand Politics: What the Humanities Can Say to Science." The lectureship carries a $10,000 honorarium.

Mansfield's many books include Manliness (2006); A Student's Guide to Political Philosophy (2001); translator, with Delba Winthrop, of Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville (2000); translator, with Nathan Tarcov, of Discourses on Livy by Niccolò Machiavelli (1996); Machiavelli's Virtue (1996); America's Constitutional Soul (1991); Taming the Prince: The Ambivalence of Modern Executive Power(1989); translator, with Laura F. Banfield, of Florentine Histories by Niccolò Machiavelli (1988); translator of The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli (1985 and second edition in 1998); editor of Selected Letters of Edmund Burke (1984); editor of Thomas Jefferson: Selected Writings (1979); Machiavelli's New Modes and Orders: A Study of the Discourses on Livy (1979, reprinted in 2001); The Spirit of Liberalism (1978); and Statesmanship and Party Government: A Study of Burke and Bolingbroke (1965). His articles with political analysis have appeared in The Weekly Standard, The Wall Street Journal, the Boston Globe, The New Republic, the Claremont Review of Books, The American Enterprise, The Chronicle of Higher Education, National Review, the Times Literary Supplement, and numerous academic journals.

Mansfield has received numerous awards and honors, including a Guggenheim Fellowship (1970-71), an NEH Fellowship (1974-75), the Joseph R. Levenson Teaching Award (1993), the Sidney Hook Memorial Award (2002), and the National Humanities Medal (2004). Throughout his career, he also has served as a member of the Council of the American Political Science Association (1980-82, 2004), a fellow of the National Humanities Center (1982), a member of the USIA's Board of Foreign Scholarships (1987-89), a member of the National Council on the Humanities (1991-94), and president of the New England Historical Association (1993-94). He was educated at Harvard (A.B., 1953, and Ph.D., 1961). He lives in Cambridge, Mass.

Attendance at the lecture is by invitation and free. Those interested in receiving an invitation should call (202) 606-8400 or send an e-mail message to @email. Additional information about the National Endowment for the Humanities and a list of previous Jefferson Lecturers is available on the Internet at www.neh.gov. The National Endowment for the Humanities gratefully acknowledges the McCormick Tribune Foundation for major support of this year's Jefferson Lecture.