Frederick Jackson Turner, the American historian, is best known for his frontier hypothesis, which has a lasting impact on historical thought in the United States, and for the outstanding quality of his teaching. He was born November 14, 1861, in Portage, Wisconsin, the son of Andrew Jackson Turner, a journalist and politician who was a local historian as well. After study at the University of Wisconsin and Johns Hopkins, Turner embarked on a teaching career in American history, first (1889-1910) at the University of Wisconsin and later (1910-1924) at Harvard. With the publication in 1893 of his essay "The Significance of the Frontier in American History" he became a figure of national importance historically. Though he wrote little, he was active in American Historical Association, and he was a highly stimulating guide and mentor to the future historians who passed through his classroom. His final years were spent in research at the Huntington Library, where his activities became increasingly curtailed as his health deteriorated. He died in Pasadena March 14, 1932.

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