Originally from Maryland, I'm a graduate of Northwestern University and the University of Texas where I received the Bachelor of Science in Speech (Communications/Rhetorical History) and Ph.D. degrees (International Relations/History) respectively. Formal teaching began with 8th graders while in graduate school, then with high schoolers when I was the Upper School Director of a private school in Queens, New York; and the Headmaster of a private school in Austin. School leadership was terrific but allowed little room for research and publication. For this reason, I took a professorship at St. Edward's University in Texas where, tenured, I worked as a historian for 16 years teaching everything from small seminars to large lectures in the areas of history, geography, economics, energy, medical history, theology, art history, and supervising over 30 senior theses on various topics in the Honors College. For scholarship and pleasure, I have traveled extensively, which has deepened my professional understanding of world history and the places where history takes place. My wife and I are parents of high schoolers, and realize the stakes could not be higher for solid, classical education and learning today - including grammar, the use of the English language - and the application of history, economics, and analytical skills to issues of the United States and the world. My background makes me very familiar with high school curriculum and what good preparation means as students approach college and beyond. It has also taught me that students are often either disinterested or scared of history "stuff," and it is gratifying over the years to actually have success with overcoming both from middle schoolers all the way through university! An expertise in world history, especially the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, has actually made me appreciate the exceptional and excellent American experience - particularly up to the Civil War which, in my experience, is the toughest for students to grasp but in the end most interesting and rewarding. Apart from the pursuit of things historical, I am avid tennis player and run a chamber music group in which I am the pianist!
