DWIGHT T. PITCAITHLEY
DWIGHT T. PITCAITHLEY
CHIEF HISTORIAN (RETIRED) NATIONAL PARK SERVICEDwight T. Pitcaithley received his doctorate from Texas Tech University in 1976. His professional experience includes: College Professor, New Mexico State University, 2005-2019; Board of Directors, New Mexico Humanities Council, 2006-2011; Adjunct Professor, George Mason University, 1993-2004; Council, American Association for State and Local History, 2002-2006; President, George Wright Society, 2004-2006; President, National Council on Public History, 1998; Editorial Board, The Journal of American History, 2006-2008; Editorial Board, The Public Historian, 1991-1997; Program Committee, Organization of American Historians, 1995, 2002; Board of Directors, National Council on Public History, 1991-1994; Program Committee, National Council on Public History, 1992, 2002; Historic Preservation and Display Committee, Society for History in the Federal Government, 1988-1989; History Committee, Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island Foundation, 1985-1989; Public History Committee, Organization of American Historians, 1983-1985; Chief Historian, National Park Service (Washington), 1995-2005; Chief, Division of Cultural Resources, National Park Service, National Capital Region (Washington), 1989-1995; Regional Historian, National Park Service, North Atlantic Region (Boston), 1979-1989; Historian, National Park Service, Southwest Region (Santa Fe), 1976-1979.
PUBLICATIONS: Dr. Pitcaithley has written Missouri and the Secession Crisis: A Documentary History (2025); Virginia Secedes: A Documentary History (20240; Kentucky and the Secession Crisis: A Documentary History (2022); Tennessee Secedes: A Documentary History (2021); The U.S. Constitution and Secession: A Documentary Anthology of Slavery and White Supremacy (2018); Let the River Be: A History of the Ozark’s Buffalo River (1987), and has contributed chapters to A Thinking Person’s Guide to America’s National Parks (2016); Becoming Historians (2009); Slavery and Public History: The Tough Stuff of American Memory (2006); Preserving Western History (2005); Public History and the Environment (2004); Myth, Memory, and the Making of the American Landscape (2001); Seeing and Being Seen: Tourism in the American West (2001); and Past Meets Present (1987). He has published in Common-Place, Arkansas Historical Quarterly, New Mexico Historical Review, The History Teacher, The Public Historian, Perspectives, Legacy, CRM, New Mexico Humanities, North & South, and The George Wright Forum.
PRESENTATIONS: Dr. Pitcaithley has presented papers in Ghent, Belgium(2005); Bristol, England (2002); Wellington, New Zealand (2000); University of Wyoming, George A. Rentschler Distinguished Visiting Lecturer (2000); Lowell, National Council on Public History (1999); Ann Arbor, University of Michigan Distinguished Lecture Series on National Research Policy (1998); Morgantown, West Virginia University, The 33rd James Morton Callahan Lecture (1996); among others.
AWARDS/HONORS: Carlsbad, NM Hall of Fame (2023); Outstanding Alumnus, Eastern New Mexico University (2022), Elected Member, American Antiquarian Society (2012); Honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of North Carolina (2011); Middle Tennessee State University’s Visiting Distinguished Public Historian (2006), Robert Kelley Memorial Award from the National Council on Public History (2006); Distinguished Service Award from the Organization of American Historians (2005); Sequoia Award from the NPS’s Interpretation and Education Program (2002); Council of Independent Colleges Visiting Fellow (2002, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2017, 2020) ; Distinguished American Scholar, Fulbright New Zealand Board of Directors (2000); James Madison Prize from The Society for History in the Federal Government (1988).
PUBLICATIONS: Dr. Pitcaithley has written Missouri and the Secession Crisis: A Documentary History (2025); Virginia Secedes: A Documentary History (20240; Kentucky and the Secession Crisis: A Documentary History (2022); Tennessee Secedes: A Documentary History (2021); The U.S. Constitution and Secession: A Documentary Anthology of Slavery and White Supremacy (2018); Let the River Be: A History of the Ozark’s Buffalo River (1987), and has contributed chapters to A Thinking Person’s Guide to America’s National Parks (2016); Becoming Historians (2009); Slavery and Public History: The Tough Stuff of American Memory (2006); Preserving Western History (2005); Public History and the Environment (2004); Myth, Memory, and the Making of the American Landscape (2001); Seeing and Being Seen: Tourism in the American West (2001); and Past Meets Present (1987). He has published in Common-Place, Arkansas Historical Quarterly, New Mexico Historical Review, The History Teacher, The Public Historian, Perspectives, Legacy, CRM, New Mexico Humanities, North & South, and The George Wright Forum.
PRESENTATIONS: Dr. Pitcaithley has presented papers in Ghent, Belgium(2005); Bristol, England (2002); Wellington, New Zealand (2000); University of Wyoming, George A. Rentschler Distinguished Visiting Lecturer (2000); Lowell, National Council on Public History (1999); Ann Arbor, University of Michigan Distinguished Lecture Series on National Research Policy (1998); Morgantown, West Virginia University, The 33rd James Morton Callahan Lecture (1996); among others.
AWARDS/HONORS: Carlsbad, NM Hall of Fame (2023); Outstanding Alumnus, Eastern New Mexico University (2022), Elected Member, American Antiquarian Society (2012); Honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of North Carolina (2011); Middle Tennessee State University’s Visiting Distinguished Public Historian (2006), Robert Kelley Memorial Award from the National Council on Public History (2006); Distinguished Service Award from the Organization of American Historians (2005); Sequoia Award from the NPS’s Interpretation and Education Program (2002); Council of Independent Colleges Visiting Fellow (2002, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2017, 2020) ; Distinguished American Scholar, Fulbright New Zealand Board of Directors (2000); James Madison Prize from The Society for History in the Federal Government (1988).
