He was born in New York City on 12/15/1930, and raised there by his mother, aunts and beloved grandmother. He was first generation American, and the first in his family to attend college. He graduated from Harvard University, and got his MA and PhD from Yale University.
During high school and college he became a champion middle distance runner, starting with a record in the boy's 600 yard run at Erasmus HS in Brooklyn, and then in the half mile at Harvard.
He was a Lieutenant in the Naval Reserves and an English Literature professor at Columbia University, Kenyon College and UCSD. He was a visiting professor at the University of Michigan. He served as the Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities from 1971-77. He received 6 honorary degrees, a Gold Medal from Phi Beta Kappa 1974, and the Medal of the City of New York, 1975.
He was a Renaissance and 19th century scholar, wrote many books, including America in the Sixties, and was an authority on the works of F. Scott Fitzgerald.
He was pre-deceased by his beloved wife of 60 years, Barbara Barr Berman. He leaves behind his cousin, Dorothy Crystal Ross, his children, Andrew Berman (Linda), Julia Berman Grossman (Martin), Katherine Berman, and his grandchildren, Matthew Berman (Meighan), Samuel & Joshua Grossman, nieces, Leslie, Andrea & Karen Seiger.
