Nearly everyone in my field of history holds a Ph.D. My closest friends tell such daunting tales of completing and defending their dissertations that I’m happy to have shunned the Ph.D. track. One, who finished his doctorate at LSU under the renowned T. Harry Williams, submitted a two-volume dissertation exceeding 700 pages. Like most Ph.D. candidates of our generation, he devoted about seven years to coursework, research and writing.
By the 1970s, enrollment in the later stages of a Ph.D. program was becoming a prerequisite for new faculty members at American colleges and universities. Thanks to a messy divorce, one of my best history professors failed to finish his dissertation in time, leaving him only a master’s degree for all his work. Without a doctorate, he was eventually squeezed off the faculty.
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Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.