12/10/07- History professor selected a Fellow of the Forest History Society

Thomas Dunlap

The Forest History Society, FHS, named Thomas Dunlap, professor of history at Texas A&M University, a Fellow at the society’s annual meeting in September 2007.

“Being named a Fellow is an accomplishment because the society has given this honor to a variety of academic historians, government archivists and officials, and people associated with the forest products industry,” Dunlap said.

The Forest History Society is an organization devoted to the better understanding of forests and their importance in American history. Past Fellow appointees include three members of the Weyerhaeuser family, who built an international forest products company and Gifford Pinchot, the first chief of the United States Forest Service (1905-1910).

According to a press release by FHS, "This award is the highest honor that can be bestowed by the Forest History Society to an individual, and is given to those deserving to be honored for many years of outstanding sustained contributions to research, writing, or teaching related to forest history, or for many years of outstanding sustained leadership in one or more core programs or major activities of the Forest History Society.”

The appointment to Fellow is not an annual award, but FHS was “particularly motivated this year by Dunlap’s achievements and dedication.”

Dunlap earned his PhD in history at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He joined Texas A&M as a professor in the history department in 1991. He specializes in environmental history.

Dunlap has published four books and 17 professional articles. He received the National Science Foundation Scholar’s Grant in 2006-2007 and 1984-1985. The National Endowment for the Humanities awarded him with a summer grant in 1992 and a summer teaching fellowship in 1980.

During the past two decades, Dunlap has served on the FHS Board of Directors from 1990-1999 as a committee chair several times, as the Board’s vice chair from 1995-1997, and as the chairman of the board from 1997-1999.

His accomplishments in publishing also led to his fellow appointment. He received FHS’ Theordor C. Blegen Award a record three times (1978, 1984 and 1986).This award recognizes the best article in conservation and forest history. According to FHS, “Dunlap is one of the field’s most highly cited authorities, and is especially noted for bringing the insights of the history of science to the study of forest and conservation history.”

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Wood

12/06/07