A Pulitzer Prize winning author and historian visited UNF Wednesday to speak about her career in history as part of the annual Presidential Lecture Series.

Doris Kearns Goodwin, whose biography “Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln” Steven Spielberg made into the movie “Lincoln,” also spoke of her experience working with former President Lyndon B. Johnson as his intern.

Goodwin held a question and answer session for students, which allowed them to ask further questions about her career.

Robert Underkofler, a UNF history junior who attended the Q&A session, described her as one of the preeminent scholars on presidential history. He said the session was stirring and eye-opening.

He said he would apply Goodwin’s philosophies of history to his own career by approaching the historical figures as living people and making them come alive, as she does.

Goodwin said students interested in pursuing a career in history should do so by finding subjects they want to learn about and coming up with a story they are interested in telling.

Goodwin attributed her love of history to her intense love of baseball. She said both interests began when her dad made her takes notes on the scores after the games.

Goodwin said the most rewarding thing about history is being able to catapult herself back to different eras.

The next distinguished voice will be George W. Grayson Oct. 23.

Email Natalie Logan at reporter6@unfspinnaker.com