Military History Center - Executive Council

Executive Council

In 2008 we created an Executive Council for the Military History Center to function as a patron organization. Our vision is to have twenty members of the community working with us to promote the study and importance of military history in the greater DFW area. The Executive Council plays a key role in selecting speakers for the annual Al and Johanna Hurley Military History Seminar and the annual Air Power Symposium. Dr. Jerry Farrington is the Chairman of the Board.

The Executive Council also plays a large role in fundraising. As many universities have turned their backs on military history in an ongoing post-Vietnam revulsion with war and military affairs, the University of North Texas is committed to increasing the profile of its military history program, which is anchored by the Military History Center. In the upcoming years we will be working to create endowed chairs in military history as well as to complete the endowment for the Barsanti Chair in Military History. The purpose of such endowments is to attract outstanding faculty to UNT and to support the work of graduate students. The latter is especially imperative in order to replenish the ranks of military historians who retire. Thus, the Executive Council plays a large role in the future of military history not only at UNT, but in higher education throughout the United States. We are also working closely with the US Army on several initiatives, the most important is the Center's participation in the program that brings US Army captains to UNT for two years of intensive military history study. Upon completion of this program, the officers are assigned to West Point to teach general and specialized military history courses to the cadets. Consequently, UNT is playing a major role in preparing the instructors who will be preparing the officers of tomorrow's Army.

If you are interested in being a member, please review the Council's charter and contact the Center's Deputy Director, Dr. Michael Leggiere, at 940-565-2690 or Michael.leggiere@unt.edu.