36 Facts About Walter Isaacson

Walter Seff Isaacson was born on May 20,1952 and is an American journalist who has written biographies of Henry Kissinger, Benjamin Franklin, Leonardo da Vinci, Albert Einstein, Steve Jobs, Jennifer Doudna and Elon Musk.

Walter Isaacson has been the president and CEO of the Aspen Institute, a nonpartisan policy studies organization based in Washington, DC, the chair and CEO of CNN, and the editor of Time.

Walter Isaacson attended Harvard University and Pembroke College, Oxford as a Rhodes scholar.

Walter Isaacson is an advisory partner at Perella Weinberg Partners, a New York City-based financial services firm.

Walter Isaacson was vice chair of the Louisiana Recovery Authority, which oversaw the rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina, chaired the government board that runs Voice of America, and was a member of the Defense Innovation Board.

Walter Seff Isaacson was born on May 20,1952, in New Orleans, Louisiana, the son of Betty "Betsy" Lee and Irwin Isaacson.

Walter Isaacson's father was an electrical and mechanical engineer, and his mother was a real estate broker.

Walter Isaacson attended New Orleans' Isidore Newman School, where he was student body president.

Walter Isaacson attended the Telluride Association Summer Program at Deep Springs College.

Walter Isaacson studied at Harvard University, where he majored in history and literature and graduated in 1974.

At Harvard, Walter Isaacson was the president of the Signet Society, a member of the Harvard Lampoon, and a resident of Lowell House.

Walter Isaacson later attended Pembroke College, Oxford, as a Rhodes scholar, where he studied philosophy, politics, and economics and graduated with first-class honours.

Walter Isaacson began his career in journalism at The Sunday Times in London, followed by a position with the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

Walter Isaacson joined Time magazine in 1978, serving as the magazine's political correspondent, national editor, and editor of new media before becoming the magazine's 14th editor in 1996.

Shortly after his appointment at CNN, Walter Isaacson sought the views of Republican Party leaders on Capitol Hill regarding criticisms that CNN broadcast content that was unfair to Republicans or conservatives.

Walter Isaacson served as the president and CEO of the Aspen Institute from 2003 until 2018, when he stepped down to become a professor of history at Tulane University and an advisory partner at the New York City financial services firm Perella Weinberg Partners.

In March 2017, Walter Isaacson launched a podcast with Dell Technologies called Trailblazers, which focuses on technology's effects on business.

Walter Isaacson is the author of multiple published books, including Kissinger: A Biography, Benjamin Franklin: An American Life, Einstein: His Life and Universe and American Sketches.

Walter Isaacson additionally co-authored with Evan Thomas the work The Wise Men: Six Friends and the World They Made.

On October 24,2011, Steve Jobs, Walter Isaacson's authorized biography of Apple Inc.

In October 2014, Walter Isaacson published The Innovators: How a Group of Inventors, Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution, which explores the history of the key technological innovations that were prominent in the digital revolution, most notably the parallel developments of the computer and the Internet.

Walter Isaacson served as the co-chair of the US-Vietnamese Dialogue on Agent Orange, which in January 2008 announced completion of a project to contain the dioxin left behind by the US at the Da Nang air base and plans to build health centers and a dioxin laboratory in the affected regions.

Walter Isaacson is a member of the US Department of Defense Innovation Advisory Board.

Walter Isaacson is an advisory partner at Perella Weinberg, a financial services firm.

Walter Isaacson is the chairman emeritus of the board of Teach for America and is on the boards of United Airlines Holdings, Inc.

In March 2019, Walter Isaacson became the editor-at-large and senior adviser for Arcadia Publishing, where he was to promote books for the company as well as be involved in editing, new strategy development, and partnerships.

Walter Isaacson is an Associate of the History of Science Department and a member of the Lowell House Senior Common Room at Harvard University.

Walter Isaacson is an honorary fellow of Pembroke College, Oxford.

Walter Isaacson is a special professor of history at Tulane University.

Walter Isaacson teaches the course "The Digital Revolution" every spring and the course "Law and US History" every fall.

In 2023, Walter Isaacson received the National Humanities Medal from President Joe Biden.

The White House citation of Walter Isaacson's award emphasizes that his "work, words, and wisdom bridge divides between science and the humanities and between opposing philosophies, elevating discourse and our understanding of who we are as a Nation".

Walter Isaacson is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and was awarded its 2013 Benjamin Franklin Medal.

Walter Isaacson is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Philosophical Society and an Honorary Fellow of Pembroke College, Oxford.

The title of Walter Isaacson's lecture was "The Intersection of the Humanities and the Sciences".

Walter Isaacson was the 2015 recipient of The Nichols-Chancellor's Medal at Vanderbilt University.