Matthew L. Daley
Professor of History, Grand Valley State University

Ph.D., History, Bowling Green State University, 2004.
M.A., History, Wayne State University, 2000.
B.A. History, University of Detroit Mercy, 1997.

I am a historian of the modern United States, with a particular emphasis on the Gilded Age to Great Depression (1865-1940) in the fields of urban, Michigan, Great Lakes, industrial/historical archaeology, and public history.

As a teacher I have a particular interest in experiential, place and game-based learning emphasizing student research and collaboration with community partners.

Courses regularly offered include:

Michigan History U.S. Urban Society,

Local and Community History Industrial Archaeology

The Historian’s Craft History and Social Studies for Elementary Teachers

Outside of the department I teach within the Archaeology Minor.

As a public historian my experience includes exhibit design, historic preservation, digital design, and organizational administration. As the former University Archivist for the University of Detroit Mercy, archival administration and methods also form a key component of my work. I am also engaged within community history through service on local, regional, and international boards for historical organizations.

My research engages public policy and community history in Michigan, the Great Lakes, and the Midwest more generally. Detroit and Grand Rapids, particularly on the subject of housing and infrastructure, are the focus of my work as an urban historian. The impact of industrial firms in the creation of affordable housing, company towns, and role played by race, class, and labor on these areas are of particular interest.

For additional information on my research, professional interests, and lecture subjects, please see my curriculum vitae.

My blog can be found at: https://daleymcdougall.wordpress.com/