INDCJournal: 100 Most Influential Americans

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November 21, 2006

100 Most Influential Americans

Posted by Bill

Who are the most influential figures in American history? The Atlantic recently asked ten eminent historians. The result was The Atlantic's Top 100 - and some insight into the nature of influence and the contingency of history. Was Walt Disney really more influential than Elizabeth Cady Stanton? Benjamin Spock than Richard Nixon? Elvis Presley than Lewis and Clark? John D. Rockefeller than Bill Gates? Babe Ruth than Frank Lloyd Wright? Let the debates begin.

Conservatives will be pleased (I think) that Ronald Reagan made number 17 on the list. I personally think that Robert Oppenheimer (48) and James D. Watson (68) were more influential than, say, Jackie Robinson (35) and Walt Disney (26). George Marshall also probably rates higher than 63, as he might be the greatest public servant in American history.

But number one? You know who it is, and it's hard to argue with the selection.

Posted by Bill at November 21, 2006 10:56 AM | TrackBack (3)

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Comments

"But number one? You know who it is, and it's hard to argue with the selection"

Oprah?

Posted by: A Lurker at November 21, 2006 11:55 AM

ha.

Posted by: Bill from INDC at November 21, 2006 12:01 PM

Lincoln? Bah.

Posted by: Donnah at November 21, 2006 12:33 PM

Donnah -

Without Lincoln, you southerners would be living in a separate nation with all the GDP and high tech service industry of Mexico.

(I kid, I kid. Sort of ...)

Posted by: Bill from INDC at November 21, 2006 12:35 PM

I got it wrong, I guessed #2. Everything is all about race these days it seems.

Posted by: sockpuppet in training at November 21, 2006 09:38 PM

I must say as a native Texan, I'm rather impressed with them for leaving out JFK and including Johnson and James K. Polk, but is Mary Baker Eddy really one of the top 100? Evem Kennedy would be better than that, and so would Nixon, or Fitzgerald, imagine an America without Gatsby references. And also not one mytholigizer of the West. Is Dubois really more important than Bret Harte or Zane Grey? Well clearly the work of Yankee Easterners!

Posted by: Roy at November 22, 2006 04:33 AM

Definitely. My dog's butt could've come up with a better list.

Posted by: Donnah at November 22, 2006 09:14 PM

You may replace Rachel Carson at 39 with Dr. Norman Borlaug. For much of the second world and most of the third world, he has had more impact than any 20th century American. He (and others in his field) made it possible for them to not starve.

Posted by: chuckR at November 23, 2006 02:03 PM

I'm not surprised, as much as I loathe the man. It is worth noting that this is a list of the most influential Americans... not the most positively influential Americans. With that in mind, Lincoln presided over the introduction of the draft and the federal income tax. Bad, but influential.

Posted by: Mark J at November 24, 2006 05:13 PM

clearly walt disney should be #1!!!!

Posted by: gina at December 1, 2006 01:10 PM