Marvin R. Zahniser
(1934-2020)
Marvin R. Zahniser was educated at Greenville College (BA), the University of Michigan (MA), and the University of California, Santa Barbara (PhD, 1963), one of the first students to receive a doctorate from that university.
After teaching a year each at the University of Washington and the University of Iowa, he came to The Ohio State University in 1965, where he taught the history of U.S. foreign relations for twenty-seven years. During these years he acted briefly as Assistant Vice Provost for the College of Arts and Sciences, served eight years as chair of the History Department, and concluded his final years at Ohio State as Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs in the College of Humanities.
The Zahnisers established academic scholarships at Greenville College, Dillard University, The Ohio State University, and, jointly with the Diocese of Columbus, an encouragement fund for students attending Pontifical College Josephinum. They are supporters of Hope Africa University in Bujumbura, Burundi, the Salvation Army, Lutheran Social Services, and the Marston Memorial Historical Archives of the Free Methodist Church.
Adapted from obituary published in The Columbus Dispatch.
Warren Van Tine
(1942-2022)
Warren received a bachelor’s degree from Baldwin-Wallace College in Ohio in 1965 and a doctorate in history in 1972 from the University of Massachusetts. He wrote, edited, co-authored, or co-edited five books and in recognition of his scholarly accomplishments, he was a Fulbright Scholar in Australia from 1978 to 1979. At Ohio State, he served as the dissertation advisor for over a dozen PhD students.
Warren Van Tine was a professor at the university from 1970 until his retirement in 2009, and he served as department chair from 1985 to 1989. In 1993, the university gave Warren the Distinguished Affirmative Action Award, a richly deserved honor for his good work on diversity and inclusion. He was an early supporter of the Center for Women’s Studies and a member of the advisory board for the Columbus Jewish History Project. He endeavored to recruit women, minorities, and marginalized people to the university.
Warren was the chair of the university’s Center for Labor Research from 1989 to 2002 and a co-editor of H-Ohio, the internet discussion group. He researched historic sites in town, such as Druids Hall on Fourth Street, where the American Federation of Labor was founded in 1886. His photographic history of the movement has adorned the second floor of Dulles Hall for more than thirty years.
Adapted from writing by Joan E. Cashin, Professor, Department of History. View full piece at history.osu.edu/news/passing-of-warren-van-tine.
Dale Van Kley
(1941-2023)
A Professor of History at Calvin College for 28 years and later at The Ohio State University for 14 years, Dale was a serious scholar and valued teacher, mentor, and colleague. The work he produced in his chosen area of research, Ancien Régime France, was thoughtful, original, and meticulously researched. He regularly published scholarship that impacted the work of many other leading historians. The combination of Dale’s passion, his originality as a scholar, his generosity, and his willingness to mentor young historians made him a distinguished and valued member of the academic community. Dale retired in 2013 but continued to stay active and engaged with his colleagues in research, writing, and mentoring.
Throughout his life, Dale was a courageous and fearless advocate for social justice and equality issues. In the early 1970s, he moved his young family into the urban core of Grand Rapids, Michigan and walked a beat to look out for his neighbors and address neighborhood issues. He deeply valued diversity and was a strong advocate for marginalized communities and for his LGBTQ+ colleagues. In 2013, Dale joined St. Mark's Episcopal Church, where he was an engaged member of the Dismantling Racism Committee.
Adapted from obituary published by Zaagman Memorial Chapel.
Williamson Murray
(1941-2023)
Williamson “Wick” Murray, a giant in the field of military history, had a body of work stretching over fifty years that covered an impressive array of subjects: military theory, grand strategy, operations, and airpower. His writings not only made important contributions to academic scholarship, they exerted considerable influence on professional military development as well. He was also a passionate teacher deeply committed to his students, whether those students were undergraduates, graduate students, or military leaders.
A 1963 graduate of Yale University with honors in history, Murray served a tour of duty in the Vietnam War as a U.S. Air Force officer. Upon completion of his active-duty service, he returned to Yale and pursued a PhD in military-diplomatic history. After two years as an instructor at Yale, Murray accepted a position in military-diplomatic history at The Ohio State University and, together with his colleague Allan R. Millett, created one of the first graduate programs in military history. It soon gained a reputation as one of the best. In 1987 he received the Alumni Distinguished Teaching Award, Ohio State’s highest award for classroom excellence.
Murray retired from Ohio State in 1995 but continued his career through service to a number of other academic and military institutions. He held visiting professorships at the U.S. Air War College, U.S. Army War College, the U. S. Naval War College, and the U.S. Marine Corps University. Other posts included the London School of Economics, the U.S. Military Academy, and the U.S. Naval Academy. He also held the Charles Lindbergh Chair at the Smithsonian Institution’s Air and Space Museum. In addition to his many awards, in 2019 the Society for Military History honored Murray with the Samuel Eliot Morison Prize for lifetime achievement in the field of military history.
Adapted from writing by Mark Grimsley, Associate Professor of History and Peter Mansoor, Professor and General Raymond E. Mason Jr. Chair in Military History. View full piece at history.osu.edu/news/passing-of-dr-williamson-murray.
Thomas N. Ingersol
(1948-2021)
Thomas Neil Ingersoll earned his BA in anthropology at University of California, Berkeley in 1981, his MA in history at San Francisco State University in 1982, and his PhD in history at University of California, Los Angeles in 1990. He taught at UCLA, Occidental College, l’Université de Montréal, and Ohio State Lima where he joined the faculty as Associate Professor in 2002.
Tom’s research was on colonial America and nineteenth-century United States, and focused on slavery, American Indians, and the Revolutionary War. Describing his own work, he wrote that “his guiding interest is how people in early America defined legitimate membership in society, who had rights and who did not.”
At the Ohio State Lima campus, Tom taught a survey of American history to 1877 every semester, and he believed this course was an essential foundation for undergraduates and especially for the history major. The course was often students’ first college-level history course and Tom’s deep knowledge and passion for the subject drew many students to the major. Tom was a loyal advocate for his students, oversaw numerous independent studies and senior research projects, and had several students go on to law school and graduate study in history.
Adapted from writing by Stanley “Chip” Blake, Associate Professor, Department of History. View full piece at go.osu.edu/tom-ingersoll-obituary.
James Bach
(1963-2022)
James Paul Bach, 59, grew up in Ashland, Kentucky and earned a degree in political science from Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia before moving to Columbus in 1995. Jim cared deeply about the city, volunteering for the Weinland Park Civic Association and serving as a University Area Commissioner. He worked in the College of Arts and Sciences at The Ohio State University for over twenty years, and he was as passionate about politics as he was about film, music, and soccer. He attended the very first Columbus Crew game and held season tickets at both stadia, in addition to supporting Bradford City AFC (UK). Jim was a great animal lover, particularly of cats, and a proud vegetarian. When he wasn't beating everyone at trivia, chess, or golf, he could be found riding his bike, playing guitar, or entertaining friends with his delicious food. He had a formidable intellect, a sharp wit, and a loving heart.
Adapted from obituary published in The Columbus Dispatch.
Johanna "Joby" Abernathy
(1946-2020)
Johanna "Joby" Abernathy, age 74, was born on May 17, 1946 and passed away on June 16, 2020. Joby grew up on the grounds of the Ohio School for the Deaf and was the daughter of Edward R. Abernathy, the superintendent for over 35 years. Joby attended University School on OSU's campus from K-12 and went on to earn her BA in Education from OSU. Continuing her long and proud relationship with OSU, Joby established her career as a coordinator for master's students in the Psychology and History departments. As Graduate Studies Coordinator, Joby was always ready to steer graduate students in the right direction. She retired from the Department on March 31, 2011 after 16 years of service.
Adapted from obituary published in The Columbus Dispatch.
