Daniel Patrick Moynihan (1927–2003) was a social scientist, politician, and diplomat known for using scholarship and evidence to enliven public discourse and improve the quality of policy debates. His career in public service included cabinet and advisory roles under four different presidents, ambassadorships to India and the United Nations, and nearly 25 years as a senator from New York. Between these stints, Moynihan taught political science, urban studies, and foreign affairs at several universities and wrote 19 books. In 2000, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
In 2007, the AAPSS created the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Prize to recognize public officials, scholars, and civic leaders who carry on Senator Moynihan’s legacy of using informed judgment to improve public policy.
Professional positions
- 2001–2003: Professor, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University
- 1977–2001: U.S. senator, New York
- 1975–1976: U.S. ambassador to the United Nations (under President Gerald Ford)
- 1973–1975: U.S. ambassador to India (under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford)
- 1966–1973: Professor of education and urban politics, Graduate School of Education and Graduate School of Public Administration, Harvard University
- 1959–1961: Assistant professor of political science, Maxwell Graduate School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University
Notable publications
- Moynihan, Daniel Patrick. 1998. Secrecy: The American Experience. Yale University Press.
- Moynihan, Daniel P. 1973. Coping: Essays on the Practice of Government. Random House.
- Moynihan, Daniel Patrick. 1965. The Negro Family: The Case for National Action. Office of Policy Planning and Research, U.S. Department of Labor.
- Glazer, Nathan, and Daniel Patrick Moynihan. 1963. Beyond the Melting Pot: The Negroes, Puerto Ricans, Jews, Italians, and Irish of New York City. MIT Press.
Degrees
- PhD, history, Tufts University
- MA, Tufts University
- BA, sociology, Tufts University
In The ANNALS
Volume 371, May 1967: “Urban Conditions: General”
