Theodore Ropp (1911–2000) was an American historian who served as a professor at

Duke University Duke University is a Private university, private research university in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity, North Carolina, Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1 ...

Academic career

Theodore Ropp's first teaching position was as an instructor in history at

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

in 1937–38. In 1938,

appointed him instructor in history. Remaining at Duke for the remainder of his career, he was appointed professor in 1959 and

professor emeritus ''Emeritus/Emerita'' () is an honorary title granted to someone who retirement, retires from a position of distinction, most commonly an academic faculty position, but is allowed to continue using the previous title, as in "professor emeritus". ...

in 1980. Ropp first became well known through his contribution to Edward Mead Earle's widely used book ''Makers of Modern Strategy'', published in 1943. His chapter was on "Continental doctrines of seapower". Ropp's expertise was in wide demand as one of the few American civilian academics working in military and naval history. He served as the Ernest J. King Professor of Maritime History at the U.S. Naval War College from 1962 to 1963. He undertook special research on compulsory military service and military conscription in the British Commonwealth. He was a member of the Army Historical Advisory Committee, in 1962–65, 1969–72. He served as director, Policy Advisory Committee, Historical Evaluation and Research Organization, from 1963, then served as chairman of the board from 1965. He was professor U.S. Military History Research Collection at the

U.S. Army War College The United States Army War College (USAWC) is a United States Army, U.S. Army staff college in Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, with a Carlisle, Pennsylvania, Carlisle postal address, on the 500-acre (2 km2) campus of the historic Carlisle B ...

in 1972–73; visiting professor of military history U.S. Military Academy, 1976–77; visiting professor,

National University of Singapore The National University of Singapore (NUS) is a national university, national Public university, public research university in Singapore. It was officially established in 1980 by the merging of the University of Singapore and Nanyang University ...

, 1980;

Royal Military College, Duntroon The Royal Military College, Duntroon, also known simply as Duntroon, is the Australian Army's Officer (armed forces), officer training establishment. It was founded at Duntroon, Australian Capital Territory, Duntroon in Canberra, Australian Capi ...

Australia, 1980, and the

University of New South Wales The University of New South Wales (UNSW) is a public research university based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It was established in 1949. The university comprises seven faculties, through which it offers bachelor's, master's and docto ...

, 1980. In 1982–84, he was visiting professor at the

University of North Carolina The University of North Carolina is the Public university, public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referre ...

. In 1991, he was awarded the Samuel Eliot Morison Prize for lifetime achievement given by the

Society for Military History The Society for Military History is a United States–based international organization of scholars who research, write, and teach military history of all time periods and places. It includes naval history, air power history, and studies of technol ...

Published works

* ''Continental Doctrines of Seapower'' in Edward M. Earle, ed., ''Makers of Modern Strategy'', (Princeton University Press, 1943). * ''Historical Background of the World Today: A Synopsis''. Edited by Theodore Ropp with Harold T. Parker. (Rinehart, 1947). * ''War in the Modern World'', (Duke University Press, 1959, revised edition, Collier, 1962, new revised edition, Johns Hopkins University Press, 2000). * ''Festschrift for Frederick B. Artz'', edited by Theodore Ropp with David H. Pinkney (Duke University Press, 1964). * ''The Historical Development of Contemporary Strategy'', (U.S. Air Force Academy, 1970). * ''History and War'', (Hamburg Press, 1984). * ''The Development of a Modern Navy: French Naval Policy, 1871-1904'', by Theodore Ropp, edited by Stephen S. Roberts, (Naval Institute Press, 1987).

Sources

* Gale ''Contemporary Authors'' * Obituary

'
Ropp Family Bible

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ropp, Theodore People from Illinois 1911 births 2000 deaths American naval historians American military historians Duke University faculty Naval War College faculty Harvard University alumni 20th-century American historians 20th-century American male writers American male non-fiction writers