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Congressional Daily Record
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June 24, 2026
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Download official Senate Record PDFReturn to issue contextMr. REED. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to Dr. Gordon S. Wood, esteemed scholar and historian whose notable works examined and guided our understanding of the ideals that birthed and gave rise to the early American Republic.
American Revolution, Gordon Wood's interest in early American history seems almost inevitable. Dr. Wood attended Tufts University; after earning his degree, he served in the U.S. Air Force in Japan. He earned his master of arts and Ph.D. in history at Harvard University. In 1969, the same year he began his illustrious career at Brown University in Providence, RI, he published his seminal work, “The Creation of the American Republic, 1776-1787,” which received the prestigious Bancroft Prize.
Throughout his career, Dr. Wood authored 10 books, including “The Radicalism of the American Revolution,” which was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for History. It was this achievement that, perhaps, most forcefully launched him from the realm of academia into the world of public humanities. Dr. Wood's work analyzed how the Colonists' rejection of British monarchy radically shaped not only self- governance, but also the ways in which their nascent ideas of liberty and equality wove themselves into every facet of American society, politics, and culture.
transformed from King's subjects to citizens of a modern, democratic republic.
and humanist, a brilliant lecturer, and a mentor who engaged generations of students and critical thinkers. He supported new perspectives and historical analysis, welcomed discussion and debate. In recognition of his vigorous scholarship and vast contributions to the humanistic disciplines, President Obama presented Dr. Wood with the 2010 National Humanities Medal.
widely. He held the prestigious title of Alva O. Way University Professor and Professor of History Emeritus at Brown University. Dr. Wood remained steadfast about the centrality of these revolutionary beliefs: liberty and equality, born out of the Enlightenment, boldly propelled early Americans to democratic republicanism and independence.
Sadly, Dr. Wood passed away on June 7 at the age of 92. He was but weeks away from receiving a very special accolade on behalf of Brown University's semiquincentennial initiative—Brown 2026—for “his unparalleled contributions to history and to education.” Indeed, Dr. Wood's scholarship has added tremendous depth to our understanding of the ideas behind the founding of our Nation, which we will be celebrating with great fanfare in a few short days.
colleagues, former students, and friends in extending my condolences to Dr. Wood's wife Louise, his children, and grandchildren. His kindness, humility, intellect, wisdom, and generous mentorship influenced countless people, and his legacy will live on to enrich and remind us of the hopeful potential that was and is America.
scholars of American history. Today, I also ask that you remember him as a great American.