Ariel Durant

Ariel and Willard Durant are two of the most influential and important authors of the twentieth century. The two are best known for their lengthy and comprehensive look at how civilizations develop and how they eventually come to an end in their multi-volume book, The Story of Civilization. Ariel was the wife of Willard and undoubtedly had her hand in the research and writing of The Story of Civilization. Though she did not receive public recognition at the time, it has been acknowledged by modern writers that Ariel had an enormous influence on their collaboration.

Ariel was born Chaya Kaufman in Proskurov, Ukraine in 1898. Her family moved to the United States when she was seven, and she spent her formative years in Philadelphia and learned to speak English. In 1916, Ariel met then 19-year-old Willard Durant at a political lecture and the two instantly clicked, marrying six months later.

Ariel came from a family of extreme poverty and thus had very little formal education, so the research and writing process was something she had to master on her own. She found a mentor in Paul Merryman at Columbia University, who recognized her intelligence, taught her to read, write, and think critically. With that foundation she began to assist Willard in his scholarly endeavors. Ariel worked mainly with Willard on The Story of Civilization, beginning in 1923 when it was still a compilation of disparate works and culminating in the publication of the 11th and final volume of the work in 1975.

Though Willard was the public figure (he would become the 1970 recipient of the Medal of Freedom), Ariel was the driving force. She did most of the research, editing, and note-taking. She is credited with bringing organization to the project, expanding its scope and scale, and even introducing a female perspective to their works. She also wrote books on her own, such as The Unfinished Autobiography (1980) and The Riddle of Life and Death (1986).

Ariel’s intelligence, dedication, and hard work were invaluable to Willard and the duo created a masterpiece of history and philosophy that stands the test of time even today. It is no surprise then, that many see Willard and Ariel as one of the greatest partnerships of the twentieth century. Even without formal recognition, Ariel left behind a remarkable legacy and contributed to some of the most important works of her time.