History prof receives kudos

Paul Murphy said he considered 2002 a good year. And considering the following, he's right.

Last year, a book written by the assistant history professor continued to receive peer praise. Murphy's book, The Rebuke of History: The Southern Agrarians and Modern Conservative Thought , was awarded the Choice Outstanding Academic Title. Choice Magazine reviews books and electronic media of interest to people in higher education. Each year, the magazine publishes more than 7,000 reviews and about 10 percent are recognized as an 'outstanding academic title.'

In 2001, Murphy's book won the Robert Penn Warren/Cleanth Brooks Award. The book is based on his doctoral thesis and traces the Agrarian tradition from its origins in the 1920s through the present day.

'Most people hate their Ph.D. thesis, but I enjoyed working on mine and the book became a continuation of this research,' he said.

Murphy, who specializes in 20th century American history, also completed development of a new course in 2002. 'The History of Democracy' will be taught in the fall semester.

His attention this summer and fall will turn to the annual Great Lakes History Conference. Murphy and colleague David Stark coordinate the event, scheduled for November 8 at the Pew Campus. This year, the conference's theme is 'From Slavery to Freedom in the Atlantic World.'