History Department Alumn Receives a Lifetime Achievement Award

At its September 20th conference at the U.S. Naval Academy, the Naval Historical Foundation awarded KU History alumnus Dr. David Curtis Skaggs, M.A., 1960, its Commodore Dudley W. Knox Award for his significant contributions to naval history. Dr. Skaggs received the Knox medal in recognition of his "record of scholarship and teaching" involving books relating to the War of 1812 on the Great Lakes, which "are characterized by eminent readability and impeccable scholarship." Of the thirteen books he’s written and edited, six particularly relate to the naval conflict on the North American lakes. These include authoring A Signal Victory: The Lake Erie Campaign, 1812-12 (1997), Thomas Macdonough (2003), Oliver Hazard Perry (2006) and editing and introducing The Sixty Years’ War for the Great Lakes, 1754-1814 (2001).

Dr. Skaggs is a professor emeritus at Bowling Green State University and was one of KU historian, James C. Malin's last students.