STEPHEN ACKERMAN Jr.

Stephen J. Ackerman, Jr.  
Of Washington, DC. died January 5, 2018 at Georgetown University Hospital. Steve was the beloved son of Stephen and Genevieve Ackerman, and the loving nephew of Margaret Sullivan of Washington, DC. He is survived by his sister, Mary Frances Ackerman Abbott. Born at Providence Hospital in 1947, he attended Georgetown Preparatory School and graduated from Boston College with a degree in English. He subsequently earned a PhD in English at the University of Virginia, where he focused on the writers of the early 18th century, whose politically-engaged satiric wit appealed to his sensibilities. He was an avid supporter of the BC Eagles and his family held season tickets to the Washington Redskins' games. Considerate, loyal, open-minded, curious, and convivial, Steve cherished a wide circle of friends from many different walks of life. With equal passion, he despised deceit and treason, whether on a personal level or in officeholders. Steve was a member of the late Congressman Minish's staff, an FDA speech and brochure writer, and for most of his life, a freelance journalist. His articles appeared in The Washington Post, Smithsonian Magazine, and The City Paper, among many others. Steve's quirkiness, intellectual brilliance, and wryly humorous outlook on life made him an engaging raconteur. These qualities infused his writing. As a sixth-generation Washingtonian, Steve developed deep historical knowledge of the National Capital Region. His book-length history of "The First Sit-In, 1939: S.W. Tucker and Alexandria, Virginia's "Library War," involved extensive conversations with the surviving participants and archival research. Another project was "Making Eastern Market: Heart of Capitol Hill Since 1805" (Folger Park Press, 2009). Recently his interest focused on the Grover Cleveland administration. Very well received, his feature story, "The First Celebrity First Lady: Frances Cleveland," in the Washington Post Magazine, was illustrated by items from his extensive collection of American political paraphernalia, which includes sheet music, posters, banners, flyers, and buttons, with items from virtually every American presidential campaign, beginning with George Washington. Before his death, Steve had arranged to donate his political collection to the District of Columbia Public Library. On February 22, 2018 at 10 a.m. a memorial mass will be held at St. Peter's on Capitol Hill, 313 2nd St, SE, Washington, DC 20003. A reception will follow the service. The closest Metro stop to St. Peter's is Capitol South.