Max Lerner

Poster for a lecture by Max Lerner in Des Moines, Iowa, 1940

Maxwell "Max" Alan Lerner (December 20, 1902—June 5, 1992) was an American journalist and educator known for his controversial syndicated column.

After immigrating from Russia with his parents in 1907, Lerner earned a B.A. from Yale University in 1923. He studied law there but transferred to Washington University in St. Louis for an M.A. in 1925.

He earned a doctorate from the Brookings Institution in 1927 and began work as an editor:

• Encyclopaedia of the Social Sciences (1927–32)
• The Nation (1936–38)
• PM (1943–48)

Lerner's most influential book was "America as a Civilization: Life and Thought in the United States Today" (1957). Lerner was a staunch opponent of discrimination against African-Americans, but supported the wartime internment of Japanese Americans, and backed an ACLU resolution on the issue which "subordinate[d] civil liberties to wartime considerations and political loyalties."^[1] During the 30s, Lerner was a strong advocate of the New Deal.^[2]

His column for the New York Post debuted in 1949. It earned him a place on the master list of Nixon political opponents. During most of his career he was considered a liberal. In his later years however, he was seen as something of a conservative, due to expressing support for the Reagan administration. ^[2]

He taught at Sarah Lawrence College, Harvard University, Williams College, United States International University, and Brandeis University. Lerner was also a close friend of film star Elizabeth Taylor during her marriage to Eddie Fisher^[3] He is referenced in the lyrics to Phil Ochs' song, "Love Me, I'm a Liberal": "You know, I've memorized Lerner and Golden."

His book "The Unfinished Country" is a collection of over 200 of his daily columns, written over a decade for the New York Post. This work contains one of his more well-known quotes: "The turning point in the process of growing up is when you discover the core of strength within you that survives all hurt."

His 1990 book Wrestling with the Angel was about his long struggle with illness.^[4]

References

1. ^ Irons, Peter. Justice at War: The Story of the Japanese-American Internment Cases, pg. 129 (1983)
2. ^ ^{a b} Sanford Lakoff, "Preface", pp. ix-xxi, in Lakoff, Max Lerner : Pilgrim in the Promised Land. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1998. ISBN 0226468313
3. ^ Schine, Cathleen (October 18, 1981). Bad Luck and Violet Eyes. New York Times
4. ^ Severo, Richard (June 6, 1992). Max Lerner, Writer, 89, Is Dead; Humanist on Political Barricades. New York Times

Persondata
Name	Lerner, Max
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Date of birth	1902
Place of birth
Date of death	1992
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