Leonard W. Levy, 83; Historian Won Pulitzer

Leonard W. Levy, 83, a Pulitzer Prize-winning constitutional historian who taught at the Claremont Colleges, died Aug. 24 in Ashland, Ore. He had been in failing health after a recent stroke.

A prolific writer, Levy published nearly 40 books and numerous articles and reviews, including “Origins of the Fifth Amendment: The Right Against Self-Incrimination,” which won the Pulitzer for history in 1969. He also wrote about Thomas Jefferson’s ambiguous record on 1st Amendment freedoms in “Jefferson and Civil Liberties: The Darker Side.”

While at Claremont, Levy concentrated on scholarship and teaching. His activities included editing of the Encyclopedia of the American Constitution and teaching at the graduate school and at Harvey Mudd College.

Born in Toronto, Levy earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees at Columbia University and taught at Brandeis University before joining the Claremont faculty. He served in the Army during World War II.