Stephen Frand Cohen American historian Date of Birth: 25.11.1938 Country: USA

1. Early Life and Education
2. Interest in Soviet History
3. Princeton Professorship and Political Involvement
4. Political Views and Anti-Communism
5. NYU Professorship and Notable Publications
6. Personal Life and Awards

Early Life and Education

American historian Stephen Cohen was born on November 25, 1938, in Kentucky, to a Lithuanian-Jewish immigrant grandfather. He graduated from Indiana University in 1960 with a degree in economics and public policy.

Interest in Soviet History

A visit to five Soviet cities in 1959 sparked Cohen's fascination with Russian history. He pursued graduate studies in Soviet history at Indiana University under Robert Tucker. At Tucker's suggestion, Cohen focused his dissertation on a political biography of Nikolai Bukharin, which he completed in 1968 and published as a book in 1973.

Princeton Professorship and Political Involvement

From 1968 to 1998, Cohen was a professor at Princeton University. He became a friend of Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev and advised US President George H.W. Bush during the collapse of the Soviet Union. Cohen was involved in campaigns to restore Bukharin's reputation in the USSR and assisted Bukharin's widow in rehabilitating her husband in 1988.

Political Views and Anti-Communism

Cohen's political views aligned him with liberalism, and despite his sympathy for the Soviet Union, he was considered an "anti-communist" within the USSR. His book on Bukharin was confiscated at a Moscow fair in 1979.

NYU Professorship and Notable Publications

Since 1998, Cohen has taught a course on post-1917 Russian history at New York University as a professor of Russian studies. His notable works include "Rethinking the Soviet Experience" (2011), "Failed Crusade" (2000), and "Bukharin and the Bolshevik Revolution" (1973).

Personal Life and Awards

Cohen is currently married to Katrina vanden Heuvel, editor of "The Nation." He has children from both marriages. Cohen has received numerous awards, including Guggenheim Fellowships (1976, 1988), the Russian Order of Friendship (2008), and the Liberty Award (2011).