Ferdinand Lundberg
Born(1902-04-30)April 30, 1902
Chicago, Illinois, United States
DiedJanuary 3, 1995(1995-01-03) (aged 92)
Mount Kisco, New York, United States
Alma materColumbia University
Occupation(s)journalist, author, professor
Years active1924–1994
Notable workImperial Hearst, America's 60 Families, Modern Woman: The Lost Sex, The Myth of Democracy

Ferdinand Lundberg (April 30, 1902 – March 1, 1995) was an American journalist and historian known for his frequent and potent criticism of American financial and political institutions. His work has been credited as an influence on Robert Caro, Ralph Nader and others.

Early life and education

Ferdinand Edgar Lundberg, of Swedish and Norwegian parentage, was born in Chicago, Illinois and received his B.A. and M.A. degrees from Columbia University.[1]

Career

Early in his career, Lundberg was a business reporter for United Press International, and the Chicago Daily News.[1] From 1927 to 1934 he reported for the New York Herald Tribune.[1]

Described by the Los Angeles Times as "witty, articulate, opinionated, marvelously well-read and not the least bit shy about telling us exactly what he thinks about America and the mess we've made of it", Lundberg was vocal in his contrarian viewpoints, describing the United States as an oligarchy, eviscerating prominent American families including the Rockefellers and Hearsts, and denouncing the United States Constitution while calling for its replacement with a parliamentary system.[2] Several of his dozen-or-so books on these topics were best-sellers.[1] America's 60 Families presents an often scathingly plain-spoken account of American financial and political history through the first third of the 20th century. The Rich and the Super-Rich documents and examines the extreme concentration of wealth in America that places above half of all assets, and overwhelming control, in the possession of 2.5% of the population, largely by inheritance.

Lundberg's debut book, Imperial Hearst, was lauded by Foreign Affairs as "an annihilating study of the newspaper magnate" worthy of "wide attention" while, in modern times, Robert Caro and Ralph Nader have both cited Lundberg's America's 60 Families as early influences on themselves.[3][4][5][6] Betty Friedan, meanwhile, wrote The Feminine Mystique as a rebuttal to Lundberg's and Marynia F. Farnham's book, Modern Woman: The Lost Sex, taking its title from a phrase used by Lundberg in his book.[7] According to the music critic Robert Christgau, the O'Jays' song "Rich Get Richer" (from the 1975 album Survival) was based on Lundberg's writing.[8]

In addition to his journalistic writing, Lundberg also spent 16 years as an adjunct professor of social philosophy at New York University. He was also an editor for the Century Foundation.[1]

Personal life

Lundberg was married to Elizabeth Young, with whom he had two sons. At the end of his life he lived in Chappaqua, New York.[1]

Works

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Saxon, Wolfgang (March 3, 1995). "F. Lundberg, 92, Author Who Wrote of the Rich". The New York Times. Retrieved February 20, 2017.
  2. ^ Kirsch, Jonathan (October 18, 1989). "A Lundberg Attack on Democracy". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 20, 2017.
  3. ^ "Imperial Hearst". Foreign Affairs.
  4. ^ Robbins, Christopher (February 17, 2016). "Robert Caro Wonders What New York Is Going To Become". The Gothamist. Archived from the original on January 4, 2017. Retrieved February 18, 2016. Ferdinand Lundberg wrote a book in the '30s that was one of the greatest examples of political reporting. It's called America's 60 Families. ... It's about how 60 families controlled 95 percent of the wealth in the United States. I came across that book as I was researching the robber barons and I thought it was the greatest book.
  5. ^ Caro, Robert (May 19, 1995). "Sanctum Sanctorum for Writers". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 4, 2017. Retrieved December 18, 2016.
  6. ^ Bender, Marylin (May 19, 1974). "The Businessmen Who Read Business Books". The New York Times. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
  7. ^ Horowitz, Daniel (2000). Betty Friedan and the Making of The Feminine Mystique: The American Left, the Cold War, and Modern Feminism. University of Massachusetts Press. p. 193. ISBN 1558492763.
  8. ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: O". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 10, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.

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