LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring Carleton Mabee posthumously upon the
occasion of winning a Pulitzer Prize for his biography THE AMERICAN
LEONARDO: A LIFE OF SAMUEL F.B. MORSE

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to pay tribute to
citizens of the State of New York whose lifework and civic endeavor
served to enhance the quality of life in their communities and the great
State of New York; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor
Carleton Mabee posthumously upon the occasion of winning a Pulitzer
Prize in 1944 for his biography entitled THE AMERICAN LEONARDO: A LIFE
OF SAMUEL F.B. MORSE; and
WHEREAS, Born on December 25, 1914, in Shanghai, China, Carleton Mabee
was raised in Lewiston, Maine; and
WHEREAS, A graduate of Bates College in 1936, Carleton Mabee attended
Columbia University where he received a master's degree in 1938, and a
doctorate in 1942; and
WHEREAS, An Ulster County, New York, historian, Carleton Mabee spent
his career focused on American social history, while also forging an
independent path in politics and scholarship; and
WHEREAS, During World War II, Carleton Mabee performed civilian public
service work, including a stint as an attendant in mental hospitals; and
WHEREAS, After the war, Carleton Mabee served as a relief worker in
Vienna with the American Friends Service Committee; he then joined the
faculty of Olivet College in Michigan; and
WHEREAS, During his graduate studies at Columbia University, Carleton
Mabee was under the guidance of a fellow Pulitzer-winning historian who
encouraged his interest in Samuel F.B. Morse; the result was his publi-
cation in 1943 of THE AMERICAN LEONARDO: A LIFE OF SAMUEL F. B. MORSE;
and
WHEREAS, Carleton Mabee married Norma Dierking in 1945; he and his
family moved to a farm in Potsdam, New York, in the 1950s, and he taught
at Clarkson College of Technology; subsequently, he chaired the depart-
ment of humanities and social sciences at Rose-Hulman Institute of Tech-
nology in Terre Haute, Indiana; and
WHEREAS, In 1965, Carleton Mabee joined SUNY New Paltz where he taught
history; he retired in 1980 after many years of distinguished service;
and
WHEREAS, In addition to winning the Pulitzer Prize for his book, this
incredible man wrote a shelf of well-regarded books including THE SEAWAY
STORY; BLACK FREEDOM: THE NONVIOLENT ABOLITIONISTS FROM 1830 THROUGH THE
CIVIL WAR; and SOJOURNER TRUTH: SLAVE, PROPHET, LEGEND; and
WHEREAS, Furthermore, Carleton Mabee wrote several histories focused
on the Hudson Valley of Upstate New York including PROMISED LAND in
2008, about Father Divine, the black spiritual leader who started inter-
racial communities in Ulster County, New York, beginning in the 1930s;
and
WHEREAS, Carleton Mabee of Gardiner, New York, died on December 18,
2014, one week before his 100th birthday; and
WHEREAS, Predeceased by his wife, Carleton Mabee is survived by his
two children, Timothy I. and Susan, and two granddaughters, as well as
two great-grandchildren; and
WHEREAS, Armed with a humanistic spirit and imbued with a sense of
compassion, Carleton Mabee leaves behind a legacy which will long endure
the passage of time and will remain as a comforting memory to all he
served and befriended; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Carleton Mabee posthumously upon the occasion of winning a Pulit-
zer Prize for his biography THE AMERICAN LEONARDO: A LIFE OF SAMUEL
F.B. MORSE; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the family of Carleton Mabee.