Dr. Alfred Cave, UT professor emeritus of history, was selected the 2012 Distinguished Historian for the Ohio Academy of History Spring Conference and Business Meeting held last month at the Ohio Historical Society in Columbus.
Cave delivered the Distinguished Historian Lecture, “‘Why the _____ Would Anybody Study History?’ A Comment on a Quip,” at the meeting, which brings together teachers, scholars, public historians and students interested in history.
“It is truly an honor to be chosen for such a prestigious award,” Cave said. “I cannot express the immense gratitude I have for my fellow colleagues.”
Cave joined the University in 1973 when he was appointed dean of the College of Arts and Sciences; he served in that capacity until 1990.
Cave has mentored more than 75 UT students with their master’s theses and 20 with their dissertations as part of his commitment to the younger generations of scholars.
“The award is not something just chosen for great accomplishments done within the last year,” Cave said. “The award embodies all of the work and dedication in the field of history completed over a lifetime.”
A colleague who nominated Cave for the honor said, “Professor Cave is an example of a rare scholar who was able to deftly weave a career in academia as both a capable administrator and as a first-rate teacher and author.”
Cave received his bachelor’s degree from Linfield College and earned his master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Florida. He has taught at the University of Florida, the City College of New York and the University of Utah. His scholarly works primarily focus on the Jacksonian era and American Indians.
He has published seven books, most recently Lethal Encounters: Indians and Englishmen in Colonial Virginia (2011), which earned Cave an award nomination from the Ohio Academy of History.
