Feldman, Burton E. 1926-2003
FELDMAN, Burton E. 1926-2003
OBITUARY NOTICE—See index for CA sketch: Born May 23, 1926, in Albany, NY; died of cancer January 10, 2003, in Denver, CO. Educator, historian, editor, and author. Feldman is remembered as the author of The Nobel Prize: A History of Genius, Controversy, and Prestige. In his book Feldman presented a history of the prize itself, from its origins after the death of Alfred Nobel in 1896, along with descriptive commentary about the various award winners and their accomplishments. He also offered his analysis of how the award evolved into the prestigious honor it is today and the relative worthiness of various recipients over the years. Feldman also pointed out that, despite the original mission to reward the most deserving candidates, the selection process has several times been blemished by political considerations. Despite his scholarly study of the Nobel Prize, Feldman was not a historian by profession; he taught English at the University of Colorado in Denver from 1965 until his retirement. He was also the editor of the Denver Quarterly, beginning in 1969. Feldman's other writings include the book The Rise of Modern Mythology, 1680-1860, of which he was the coauthor.
OBITUARIES AND OTHER SOURCES:
periodicals
Denver Post, January 29, 2003, obituary by Virginia Culver, p. B4.
New York Times, February 2, 2003, p. A30.
Times Union (Albany, NY), January 31, 2003, obituary by Katya Roytburd, p. B7.