Edward T. O’Donnell, Ph.D.

Edward T. O’Donnell received his Ph.D. in American History from Columbia University. He is a professor of history at Holy Cross College in Worcester, MA where he teaches courses on the Gilded Age and Progressive Era, Theodore Roosevelt, immigration, social reform movements, and American wars. 

O’Donnell is the author of five books, including The Pullman Strike: A Gilded Age Clash between Labor, Capital, and Government (Routledge, 2024); Henry George and the Crisis of Inequality: Progress and Poverty in the Gilded Age America (Columbia University Press, 2015); Visions of America: A History of the United States (co-author, Pearson, 3rd ed. 2016); Ship Ablaze: The Tragedy of the Steamboat General Slocum (Random House/Broadway Books, May 2003); and 1001 Things Everyone Should Know About Irish American History (Random House/Broadway Books, 2002).

O’Donnell is also a professional public speaker. He has delivered history-themed presentations before thousands of educational, business, and nonprofit organizations. O’Donnell is also a featured speaker for One Day University. During his years in New York City, O’Donnell also led more than 1,200 walking tours through New York City’s ethnic neighborhoods such as Chinatown, Little Italy, and Harlem.

O’Donnell is a featured historian in many historical documentaries and programs on PBS, History Channel, Discovery Channel, and Netflix. Recent examples include, “Theodore Roosevelt” (History Channel, 2022), “FDR” (History Channel, 2023), “How Disney Built America” (History Channel, 2024), “Wyatt Earp and The Cowboy War” (Netflix, 2024), and “The Gilded Age” (PBS, 2018).

O’Donnell also contributes historical insight to the media, appearing recently in features about the Gilded Age on ABC, CBS, and NPR, and writing history-themed op-eds for publications like Newsweek, the New York Times, and the Washington Post. From 2016 to 2020, he hosted a popular US history podcast, In The Past Lane. (www.InThePastlane.com). He also has curated several major museum exhibits on American history. In 2020 he created The Weemsy Awards™ (similar to the Razzies and Darwin Awards) to highlight false and/or outrageous statements about US history by public figures.

O’Donnell also has created video lecture courses on American history for The Great Courses, including "Turning Points in American History" (48 lectures) and "America in the Gilded Age and Progressive Era" (24 lectures).