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

Northeastern University, Boston Northeastern University (NU) is a private research university with its main campus in Boston. Established in 1898, the university offers undergraduate and graduate programs on its main campus as well as satellite campuses in Charlotte, North ...

and an author. He served as Director of the

Massachusetts Historical Society The Massachusetts Historical Society 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 in Bosto ...

from 1998 through 2005.

Early life and education

Born in

Tarpon Springs, Florida Tarpon Springs is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. The population was 23,484 at the 2010 census. Tarpon Springs has the highest percentage of Greek Americans of any city in the US. Downtown Tarpon Springs has long been a focal po ...

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

Wakefield, Massachusetts Wakefield is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts in the Greater Boston metropolitan area, incorporated in 1812 and located about north-northwest of Downtown Boston. Wakefield's population was 27,090 at the 2020 census. Wakefield offer ...

, and attended Wakefield High School and

, 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 Sou ...

in 1966. He went on to the

University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac, known simply as Notre Dame ( ) or ND, is a private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, outside the city of South Bend. French priest Edward Sorin founded the school in 1842. The main c ...

, where he earned his

M.A. A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

in 1969 and his PhD in 1971. He served in the

U.S. Army Reserve The United States Army Reserve (USAR) is a reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the Army element of the reserve components of the United States Armed Forces. Since July 20 ...

from 1970 to 1984, reaching the grade of Captain. In August 1968, he married Marilyn Nicole Noble, an elementary school teacher, and together they had two children.

Academic career

Fowler was appointed an assistant professor in 1971 at

Northeastern University Northeastern University (NU) is a private research university with its main campus in Boston. Established in 1898, the university offers undergraduate and graduate programs on its main campus as well as satellite campuses in Charlotte, North Ca ...

, 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 or Mystic Seaport: The Museum of America and the Sea in Mystic, Connecticut is the largest maritime museum in the United States. It is notable for its collection of sailing ships and boats and for the re-creation of the cra ...

Museum and has lectured at the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Found ...

, 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 associa ...

, St. John's Preparatory School, and the

Sea Education Association Sea Education Association (SEA) is a private, nonprofit educational organization. Founded in 1971 by Corwith Cramer, Jr. SEA operates two sailing ships traveling throughout both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. SEA is based on Cape Cod in the oce ...

. 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 The Boston Marine Society (established 1742) is a charitable organization in Boston, Massachusetts, formed "to 'make navigation more safe' and to relieve members and their families in poverty or other 'adverse accidents in life.'" Membership general ...

,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 The USS Constitution Museum is located in the Charlestown Navy Yard, which is part of the Boston National Historical Park in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. The museum is situated near the ship at the end of Boston's Freedom Trail. The m ...

, 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 (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...

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 Father, merchant, statesman, and prominent Patriot of the American Revolution. He served as president of the Second Continental Congress and was the first and third Governor o ...

'' (1980) * ''Jack Tars and Commodores: The American Navy, 1783–1815'' (1984) * ''Under Two Flags: The Navy in the Civil War'' (1990) * ''

Silas Talbot Captain Silas Talbot (January 11, 1751June 30, 1813) was an American military officer and slave trader. He served in the Continental Army and Continental Navy during the American Revolutionary War, and is most famous for commanding from 1799 t ...

Captain of the Old Ironsides'' (1995) * ''

Samuel Adams Samuel Adams ( – October 2, 1803) was an American statesman, political philosopher, and a Founding Father of the United States. He was a politician in colonial Massachusetts, a leader of the movement that became the American Revolution, an ...

: 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 Jeffrey Jaeger Safford was a professor emeritus of history at Montana State University-Bozeman and prominent proponent of historic preservation in Montana. Early life and education Jeffrey Jaeger Safford was born in Greenwich Village, New Yor ...

, and

Andrew German Andrew is the English form of a given name common in many countries. In the 1990s, it was among the top ten most popular names given to boys in English-speaking countries. "Andrew" is frequently shortened to "Andy" or "Drew". The word is derived ...

, (1998) * ''Empires at War: The

French and Indian War The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the st ...

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 (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...

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

Homepage at Northeastern University
* Th

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