William Morgan Fowler Jr. (born July 25, 1944) is a professor of history at

Northeastern University Northeastern University (NU or NEU) is a private university, private research university with its main campus in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was founded by the Boston Young Men's Christian Association in 1898 as an all-male instit ...

and an author. He served as Director of the

Massachusetts Historical Society The Massachusetts Historical Society (MHS) is a major historical archive specializing in early American, Massachusetts, and New England history. The Massachusetts Historical Society was established in 1791 and is located at 1154 Boylston Street ...

from 1998 through 2005.

Early life and education

Born in

Tarpon Springs, Florida Tarpon Springs is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. Downtown Tarpon Springs has long been a focal point and underwent beautification in 2010. It is part of the Tampa Bay area. The population was 25,117 at the 2020 census. As of ...

, the son of William Fowler, a U.S. Postal Service employee, and his wife Eleanor, he grew up in

Wakefield, Massachusetts Wakefield is a New England town, town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston, greater Boston metropolitan area, municipal corporation, incorporated in 1812 in the United States, 1812 and located about north-nor ...

, and attended Wakefield High School and

Northeastern University, Boston Northeastern University (NU or NEU) is a private research university with its main campus in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was founded by the Boston Young Men's Christian Association in 1898 as an all-male institute before being inc ...

, graduating

magna cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some Sout ...

in 1966. He went on to the

University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac (known simply as Notre Dame; ; ND) is a Private university, private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States. Founded in 1842 by members of the Congregation of Holy Cross, a Cathol ...

, where he earned his M.A. in 1969 and his PhD in 1971. He served in the U.S. Army Reserve from 1970 to 1984, reaching the grade of Captain. In August 1968, he married Marilyn Louise Noble, an elementary school teacher, and together they had two children.

Academic career

Fowler was appointed an assistant professor in 1971 at

, promoted to associate professor in 1977, and full professor in 1980. In addition, he served as acting dean of the college of arts and sciences in 1977, vice provost, 1989–1991, and department chair in 1993–1997, before leaving to become the director of the

. He returned to Northeastern on January 1, 2006, after eight years at the society. When he announced that he would leave the President of the Society, Amalie M. Kass, honored him for the positive changes that he accomplished during his tenure. Kass stated, "Bill Fowler brought our Society into a leadership role in the cultural and intellectual life of Boston, the state, and even the nation ��Dr. Fowler has kept this mission at the forefront of his work and we intend to go forward in that spirit."Massachusetts Historical Society press release
retrieved May 16, 2006 Fowler also teaches at the Frank C. Munson Institute of American Maritime History at

Mystic Seaport Mystic Seaport Museum (founded as Marine Historical Association) is a maritime museum in Mystic, Connecticut, and the largest in the United States. Its site holds a collection of ships and boats and a re-creation of a 19th-century seaport vill ...

Museum and has lectured at the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums, Education center, education and Research institute, research centers, created by the Federal government of the United States, U.S. government "for the increase a ...

, the

United States Naval War College The Naval War College (NWC or NAVWARCOL) is the staff college and "Home of Thought" for the United States Navy at Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island. The NWC educates and develops leaders, supports defining the future Navy and associ ...

, St. John's Preparatory School, and the Sea Education Association. He is a trustee of the Ralph Waldo Emerson Association, The Paul Revere Memorial Association, and the Old North Church Foundation. He is also a member of the Massachusetts State Archives Advisory Commission and an honorary member of the Boston Marine Society, and the Society of the Cincinnati as well as a consulting editor to '' The New England Quarterly''.

Honors and awards

Samuel Eliot Morison Samuel Eliot Morison (July 9, 1887 – May 15, 1976) was an American historian noted for his works of maritime history and American history that were both authoritative and popular. He received his Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1912, and tau ...

Distinguished Service Award, USS Constitution Museum, 1985. * Northeastern University Outstanding Alumnus Award, 1994. * Honorary degree L.H.D., Northeastern University, 2000. * Bay State Historical League Ayer Award

Published works

* ''

William Ellery William Ellery (December 22, 1727 – February 15, 1820) was a Founding Father of the United States, one of the 56 signers of the United States Declaration of Independence, and a signer of the Articles of Confederation as a representative of Rho ...

: A

Rhode Island Rhode Island ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Is ...

Politico and Lord of Admiralty'' (1973) * ''Rebels Under Sail: The American Navy during the Revolution'' (1976) * ''The American Revolution: Changing Perspectives'', edited by Wallace Coyle and William M. Fowler Jr. (1979) * ''The Baron of Beacon Hill: A Biography of

John Hancock John Hancock ( – October 8, 1793) was an American Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father, merchant, statesman, and prominent Patriot (American Revolution), Patriot of the American Revolution. He was the longest-serving Presi ...

'' (1980) * ''Jack Tars and Commodores: The American Navy, 1783–1815'' (1984) * ''Under Two Flags: The Navy in the Civil War'' (1990) * '' Silas Talbot Captain of the Old Ironsides'' (1995) * ''

Samuel Adams Samuel Adams (, 1722 – October 2, 1803) was an American statesman, Political philosophy, political philosopher, and a Founding Father of the United States. He was a politician in Province of Massachusetts Bay, colonial Massachusetts, a le ...

: Radical Puritan'' (1997) * ''America and The Sea: A Maritime History'' by Benjamin W. Labaree, William M. Fowler Jr., John B. Hattendorf, Edward W. Sloan, Jeffrey J. Safford, and Andrew German, (1998) * ''Empires at War: The

French and Indian War The French and Indian War, 1754 to 1763, was a colonial conflict in North America between Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of France, France, along with their respective Native Americans in the United States, Native American ...

and the Struggle for North America, 1754–1763'' (2005) * ''America and The Sea: Treasures from the collection of

'' (co-author) (2005) * ''An American Crisis:

George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

and the Dangerous Two Years After Yorktown, 1781–1783'' (2011) * ''Steam Titans: Cunard, Collins, and the Epic Battle for Commerce on the North Atlantic'' (2017)

References

* ''Contemporary Authors''

External links

Faculty Page at Northeastern University
* Th
William M. Fowler Jr. papers, 1976–2000
are located in the Northeastern University Libraries, Archives and Special Collections Department, Boston, MA. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Fowler, William M. Northeastern University faculty Northeastern University alumni University of Notre Dame alumni Living people American maritime historians American naval historians American male non-fiction writers Historians of New England Frank C. Munson Institute of American Maritime History faculty United States Army officers 1944 births People from Wakefield, Massachusetts Historians from Massachusetts Military personnel from Massachusetts