In my role as chair of the History Department I flatter myself that I am familiar with the activities and exploits of the students and faculty who make up this lively community of historians. Yet, each issue of the departmental … Read more

Kevin Cherry received his MA in History at UNC in 1993, before going on to earn a Ph.D. in Library Science at UNC. He is now deputy secretary of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and director of … Read more

In 1929, Henry M. Owl received a master’s degree from the Department of History. Owl is one of many distinguished graduates of the program, but he is particularly important to department and campus history: Owl was the first student who … Read more

For Boris Ruge, Minister and Deputy Chief of Mission for the German Embassy in Washington, D.C., an M.A. in History from UNC was an important step to a career in the foreign service. “Of course, studying history is a very … Read more

A few of Phil’s favorite UNC professors: Barbara Brandon Schnorrenberg taught “Western Civilization” and British history courses. She also instructed the first course in women’s history at UNC. Enno Kraehe was a professor of modern European history and wrote extensively … Read more

In February 2017, President Donald J. Trump appointed Lt. General H.R. McMaster, who received a Ph.D. in History from UNC in 1996, as national security adviser. McMaster is the first national security advisor with a Ph.D. in History and, according … Read more

It is not surprising that Professor Benjamin Waterhouse has made such a success of his career as a young historian. He remembers thinking historically as a child—whether it was about big ideas or daily life. “I always tried to make …

The legal profession’s loss was history’s gain. When Professor Flora Cassen went to college in Belgium, she entered the law school program. But it did not take long before she fell in love with her history courses and made the … Read more

Professor Cemil Aydin asks, “If the American government had instituted a Muslim ban 120 years ago, which countries’ passports would it ban? It would actually be the British Empire, which was the greatest Muslim Empire; forty percent of the world’s …