Olivier Zunz


Olivier Zunz is a social historian, and Commonwealth Professor at the University of Virginia, known for his work on Twentieth Century history of the American urban society and the development of modern philanthropy. He is also a leading Tocqueville historian.

Early life

Zunz was born and raised in France. He received his BA in history and geography from the University of Paris in 1968, his PhD from the Pantheon-Sorbonne University in 1977, where in 1982 he also received his Doctor of Letters. Zunz also spent several years studying at Princeton.

Career

Since 1979 he has been a Commonwealth Professor at the Corcoran Department of History of the University of Virginia. In 1986 he was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowships for his exceptional work on US history.
In 2011, he was named an Officier of the French Ordre National du Mérite.

Selected publications

Articles, a selection: