John Clement Fitzpatrick | |
|---|---|
 Fitzpatrick working on the George Washington papers at the Library of Congress in 1937 | |
| Born | August 10, 1876 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Died | February 10, 1940 (aged 63) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupations |
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| Spouse |
Elizabeth V. Kelly
(m. 1922; died 1933) |
| Children | 1 |
| Parent(s) | James Nicholas Fitzpatrick Elizabeth Ann Combs |
John Clement Fitzpatrick (August 10, 1876 – February 10, 1940) was an archivist and an early American historian, widely regarded as an authority on George Washington. He was noted for his groundbreaking work editing Washington's diaries and many letters and documents. Appointed by the George Washington Bicentennial Commission he prevailed over the editorship in his acclaimed 39 volume work, The Writings of George Washington, published between 1931 and 1944. His involvement during this prolonged effort set many of the standards for the management of manuscripts in the Library of Congress. Fitzpatrick died before all the volumes had been published. He belonged to a number of historical societies while also earning honorary degrees from several prominent universities. Fitzpatrick's years of correspondence and other records have provided historians with valuable sources of information on the life of and events surrounding George Washington, and on the history of Washington, D.C. for that era.