Merle Curti

Merle Eugene Curti (September 15, 1897 – March 9, 1996) was an American progressive historian who influenced peace studies, intellectual history and social history, including by using cliometrics (quantitative tools in historical research). At Columbia University and for decades at the University of Wisconsin, Curti directed 86 finished Ph.D. dissertations and had a wide range of correspondents. He was known for his commitment to democracy, as well as the Turnerian thesis that social and economic forces shape American life, thought and character.