Herbert Samuel Parmet (September 28, 1929 – January 25, 2017)[1] was an American writer, biographer, and distinguished historian most notable for his works of writing on American presidents.
. . . Herbert Parmet . . .
Herbert Parmet, who was named for American president Herbert Hoover, was born in New York City to Isaac Parmet and Fanny Scharf, two Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe,[2] with his father being from the Ukrainian city of Krasyliv, and his mother from the village of Wiśnicz in Poland.[3] He grew up in the Bronx with his parents, and his younger brother Robert,[4] the latter of which has taught history at CUNY’s York College since it opened in 1967.[5]
Herbert went to DeWitt Clinton High School in New York City, where he met his wife, Joan Kronish. Parmet and Kronish would marry in August of 1948,[6] and would go on to attend the State University of New York at Oswego together.[7] After receiving his B.A. (1951), he served in the U.S. Army from 1952-54, before attending Queens College, from which he received an M.A. in history (1957). Although he went on to pursue doctoral studies at Columbia University from 1957-1962, he never completed his Ph.D.[8]
He taught social studies in North Babylon, Long Island (1951-1954); at Mineola High School in Mineola, Long Island (1954-1968), where he was chairman of the department of social studies from 1961-1968; before moving to Queensborough Community College in Bayside, Queens, where he was an assistant professor (1968-1973), associate professor (1973-1975), professor (1975-1983), and then distinguished professor (1983-1995) of history.[8] Upon his retirement, he was named distinguished professor emeritus of history (1995-2017).[9] He was also on the faculty of the CUNY Graduate Center beginning in 1977.[10]
While working as a teacher, he co-authored his first book, Aaron Burr; Portrait of an Ambitious Man[11] with colleague Marie Hecht.
. . . Herbert Parmet . . .