September 29, 2026 Submitted by Paul McElhinney of Wexford, Ireland
Acknowledged as one of America’s great national treasure, David Mccullough also had a strong group of admirers outside the United States. Through his written works and his broadcasting delivered with that compelling, mellifluous voice, he brought the American story clearly and intelligently to a wide international audience. Sadly no longer with us, his great history writing and broadcasting are his lasting legacy.
Fair, honorable, compassionate and articulate, he represented the very best in America. It was no surprise that he was awarded the US’s highest civilian honor, the Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush in 2006. Fair and balanced in his written and public pronouncements, McCullough studiously avoided taking up partisan positions which he suggested was for others to do. In his sensitive yet clear-minded accounts of the Civil War in Ken Burns’ eponymous PBS documentary series, he demonstrated that capacity admirably.
His choice to live and settle in Hingham, Massachusetts, was an inspired one. Being amidst the beauty of the New England countryside with all its history, while also near the cosmopolitan and intellectual ferment of Boston/Cambridge must have been the ideal mix for someone of McCullough’s sensibilities.
In a world that is being overwhelmed by fake news, sound bites and partisan extremes in public debate, David McCullough harks back to a more civil and straightforward era, but one that we have not entirely lost. As long as the world continues to produce people of his moral and intellectual caliber, it will continue to thrive. More people following his principles as an historian and man of letters, is probably the best legacy David McCullough could dream for.
Paul McElhinney
Wexford, Ireland
September 2026