Gabor S. Boritt, a longtime history professor at Gettysburg College who became widely known for work on the Civil War and President Abraham Lincoln, died Monday in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, his son said. He was 86. Boritt’s career at Gettysburg included roles in college and national-history projects, and his scholarship helped cement Lincoln studies as a field grounded in historical research.
Boritt was born in Budapest in 1940 and survived World War II, according to his family’s recollection. His relatives were killed in Auschwitz during the Nazi occupation, and after the war, he was sent to an orphanage.
At 16, Boritt joined the Hungarian Revolution in 1956, his family said. After the uprising was crushed, he eventually made his way to the United States, where he worked in a New York hat factory before pursuing further education.
He earned a history doctorate from Boston University and later taught at several universities, before joining the faculty at Gettysburg College in 1981. At Gettysburg, he founded the Civil War Institute and also served on the board of the Gettysburg Foundation. He was involved in the construction of a new visitors’ center at Gettysburg National Military Park.
Boritt also helped establish the Lincoln Prize, a scholarship-related award tied to Civil War study with a $50,000 prize, according to the account of his work. In 2008, he received the National Humanities Medal from President George W. Bush.
A documentary about Boritt’s life, titled “Budapest to Gettysburg,” was created by his son, Jake Boritt. The screening is scheduled for Lincoln’s Birthday, Feb. 12, in Gettysburg.