Archibald MacLeish is one of the few Americans prominent both as a writer and as a public official. He published sixteen books of poetry and drama, three of which won Pulitzer Prizes, as well as magazine articles and essays on national issues. MacLeish served as Librarian of Congress, director of the wartime Office of Facts and Figures, assistant secretary of state, and head of the United States delegation to the United States Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. He was also a highly visible professor at Harvard University. In fact, much of MacLeish's literary work reflects his involvement in public issues in the United States.

MacLeish was born in Glencoe, Illinois, near Chicago, and grew up in comfortable circumstances. His father, Andrew MacLeish, emigrated from Scotland

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Citation: Hendricks, Ted. "Archibald MacLeish". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 14 January 2009 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=2864, accessed 19 March 2024.]

2864 Archibald MacLeish 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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