James Garfield Randall, James G. Randall, J.G. Randall
24 June 1881 – 20 February 1953
Birthplace: Indianapolis, Indiana
American author, educator & historian
“It is not the duty of a fair judge to issue no opinion, but to see that there is no tampering with the scales.”
~J.G. Randall, American author, educator & historian
On the importance of objectivity in historical scholarship, “Historianship,” Address to the annual dinner of the American Historical Association (29 December 1952) Washington, D.C.; in American Historical Review, Vol. 58, Issue 2, January 1953, Part I; reprint online via American Historical Association, www.historians.org
Extended excerpt [Speech during the American Historical Association’s annual dinner meeting, as the president of the group]:
“One of those fundamental standards is objectivity. When we speak of this quality we do not mean that, as between alternative conclusions, a decision should never be reached, nor that the scholar’s mind should dangle in mid air. It is not the duty of a fair judge to issue no opinion, but to see that there is no tampering with the scales. If one has objectivity he should also have discrimination. It means – and this might almost serve as a definition – that the essence of the thing examined comes through in the conclusion reached.”
Source link: “Historianship” (29 December 1952 speech | first printing January 1953) online via American Historical Association: https://www.historians.org/about-aha-and-membership/aha-history-and-archives/presidential-addresses/james-g-randall
“Tact is not only kindness, but kindness skillfully extended.”
~J.G. Randall, American author, educator & historian
Lincoln the President (1952) “Midstream,” Vol. III, New York: Dodd, Mead & Co., 1953 edition, p. 408; online via Open Library [free subscription service] openlibrary.org
Misquote note: Randall’s original line has been misquoted or paraphrased by a number of different sources:
Original text: “Tact is not only kindness, but kindness skillfully extended.”
Misquote/paraphrase/re-quote: “Tact is kindness, skillfully extended.”
Extended excerpt [From Randall’s biography of American president Abraham Lincoln. Italics original to cited text.]:
“In his practice of the art of human relations Lincoln regularly and consciously applied that quality known as “tact.” That is a way of conveying the idea, but tact is not one thing only. It is a number of qualities working together: insight into the nature of men, sympathy, self control, a knack of inducing self control in others, avoidance of human blundering, readiness to give the immediate situation an understanding of mind and a second thought. Tact is not only kindness, but kindness skillfully extended. Charity does not always please, while even a reproof may be tactfully given. Human tact involves savoir faire, restraint, patience, ability to reach a person indirectly rather than by frontal attack, approaching a situation in terms of adjustment rather than by way of deadlock or “showdown.” (p. 408)
Source link: Library – Lincoln the President (1952|1953 Dodd, Mead & Co. ed.) online via Open Library [free subscription service]: https://archive.org/stream/lincolnpresident00rand#page/408/search/tact+is+not+only+kindness
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