Thomas Perkins Abernethy (August 25, 1890 – November 12, 1975) was an American historian and academic. He served as a professor of early American history at a number of universities throughout the South and Southwest United States. He mainly taught early American colonial history that concentrated on southern states, their notable figures, frontier life, the move westward, and how it impacted the social, economic and political fabric of colonial America and its transition into an independent nation.

Early life and education

Thomas Perkins Abernethy was born on August 25, 1890, in

Collirene, Alabama Collirene (also Sand Hill, Hays Hill, Hayes Hill) is an Unincorporated area#United States, unincorporated community in Lowndes County, Alabama, Lowndes County, Alabama, United States. Thomas Perkins Abernethy (1890–1975), writer, histori ...

. His parents were Thomas Hines Abernethy and Anne (Rast) Abernethy. He married Ida Erckman Robertson of Birmingham on December 6, 1917. Abernethy's father was a Confederate soldier. His great-grandfather, Thomas Smith Abernethy, was a pioneer Methodist minister and one of the founders of the Alabama conference. Abernethy Biography, University of Alabama Alabama Pioneers, Historical Association: Abernethy biography Abernethy attended various public schools in

Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Jefferson County, Alabama, Jefferson County. The population was 200,733 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List ...

, and graduated high school in 1905. He attended the agricultural school Sylacauga, then attended one year at

Marion Military Institute Marion Military Institute, the Military College of Alabama, (MMI, sometimes Marion Institute, Marion Military, or simply Marion) is a Public college, public military junior college in Marion, Alabama. Founded in 1842, it is the official state mi ...

, and became a cadet sergeant; he also played on the institution's football team. Abernethy earned his associate degree at the

College of Charleston The College of Charleston (CofC or Charleston) is a public university in Charleston, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1770 and chartered in 1785, it is the oldest university in South Carolina, the 13th-oldest institution of higher lea ...

in 1912. He then attended

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 ...

and earned his master's degree in 1915 and his Ph.D. in 1922. Abernethy, 1961, author profile on book cover, Louisiana State University Press Abernethy's work, ''The Formative period in Alabama, 1815–1828'', published in 1922, was submitted as a

doctoral dissertation A thesis (: theses), or dissertation (abbreviated diss.), is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings.International Standard ISO 7144: D ...

to the faculty of Harvard University and was prepared under the direction of Professor

Frederick Jackson Turner Frederick Jackson Turner (November 14, 1861 – March 14, 1932) was an American historian during the early 20th century, based at the University of Wisconsin-Madison until 1910, and then Harvard University. He was known primarily for his front ...

; the archives and manuscripts collected were made available by Thomas M. Owen, founder of the

Alabama Department of Archives and History The Alabama Department of Archives and History is the official repository of archival records for the U.S. state of Alabama. Under the direction of Thomas M. Owen its founder, the agency received state funding by an act of the Alabama Legislatu ...

, which made the depth of Abernethy's research possible.

Career

Upon completion of his graduate studies at Harvard, Abernethy began his career as a professor and historian of the southern colonies and states. He returned to the

and taught there from 1912 to 1914. When World War I broke out, he set aside his teaching career and joined the U.S. Army. After the war he again returned to Marion Institute and taught there for another year in 1919. Abernethy continued his teaching career and taught at the Women's College of Alabama, from 1916 to 1917, at

Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private university, private research university in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provide ...

in 1921, at the

University of Chattanooga The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UT Chattanooga, UTC, or Chattanooga) is a public university in Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States. It was founded in 1886 and is part of the University of Tennessee System. History UTC was found ...

from 1922 to 1928, at the

University of Alabama The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, the Capstone, or Bama) is a Public university, public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of ...

from 1928 to 1930, at the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson and contains his The Lawn, Academical Village, a World H ...

as Richmond Alumni Professor of History from 1930 to 1961, at the

University of Texas The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas, United States. Founded in 1883, it is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. With 53,082 students as of fall 2 ...

from 1961 to 1962, and at the

University of Arizona The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it ...

from 1963 to 1964. Abernethy also contributed to numerous professional journals and

anthologies In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs, or related fiction/non-fiction excerpts by different authors. There are also thematic and ge ...

. He was a member of the

American Historical Society The American Historical Association (AHA) is the oldest professional association of historians in the United States and the largest such organization in the world, claiming over 10,000 members. Founded in 1884, AHA works to protect academic free ...

and

Virginia Historical Society The Virginia Museum of History and Culture founded in 1831 as the Virginia Historical and Philosophical Society and headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, is a major repository, research, and teaching center for Virginia history. It is a private, ...

and founder and president of the

Southern Historical Society The Southern Historical Society was an American organization founded to preserve archival materials related to the government of the Confederate States of America and to document the history of the American Civil War.Litt. D. from

Washington and Lee University Washington and Lee University (Washington and Lee or W&L) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Lexington, Virginia, United States. Established in 1749 as Augusta Academy, it is among ...

and the Phi Beta Kappa Award for best historical work in 1961. He was also honored by a

Festschrift In academia, a ''Festschrift'' (; plural, ''Festschriften'' ) is a book honoring a respected person, especially an academic, and presented during their lifetime. It generally takes the form of an edited volume, containing contributions from the h ...

titled ''The Old Dominion; Essays for Thomas Perkins Abernethy'', edited by Darrett B. Rutman. Virginia History Series: Thomas Perkins Abernethy Abernethy co-founded the

Southern Historical Association The Southern Historical Association is a professional academic organization of historians focusing on the history of the Southern United States. It was organized on November 2, 1934. Its objectives are the promotion of interest and research in Sou ...

and served as its third president. He also served on the executive board of the

in Richmond for more than twenty-five years. About 1970 Abernethy donated his private library, a collection of about 950 books, to the

. His library included rare and first editions works, the oldest of which was printed in 1779, along with seven works written by Abernethy himself. Abernethy died in

Charlottesville, Virginia Charlottesville, colloquially known as C'ville, is an independent city (United States), independent city in Virginia, United States. It is the county seat, seat of government of Albemarle County, Virginia, Albemarle County, which surrounds the ...

, on November 12, 1975. He is buried in University of Virginia Cemetery and Columbarium in Charlottesville.

Works

Abernethy's works include: Biography, University of Alabama * ''The South in the New Nation, 1789-1819'' (1961) * ''Western Lands and the American Revolution'' (1937) * ''The Burr Conspiracy'' (1954) * ''Three Virginia Frontiers'' (1940) * ''Historical Sketches of the University of Virginia'' (1937, Appleton Century) * ''From Frontier To Plantation In Tennessee, A Study in Frontier Democracy'' (1932) * ''The Formative Period in Alabama, 1815–1828'' (1922)

Notes

References

Sources