William Roger Louis

Professor William Roger Louis is the Kerr Chair in English History and Culture and Distinguished Teaching Professor at the University of Texas at Austin. Professor Louis is an eminent historian of British imperialism. In a powerful series of books that he has written and edited he has in an evenhanded way made immense contributions to a very complicated and controversial area of study. His greatest accomplishment is as a scholar but he is also a prize winning teacher. He has served as past President of the American Historical Association and as the founder and sustainer of the National History Center. In 2009, Professor Louis won the Professor of the Year at U.T. selected by 50,000 students. Professor Louis has recently published Ends of British Imperialism: the Scramble for Empire, Suez, and Decolonization (2006). He has written or edited more than thirty books including Imperialism at Bay (1977) and The British Empire in the Middle East (1984). His edited publications include The End of the Palestine Mandate (1986), The Transfers of Power in Africa (1988), Suez 1956 (1989), The Iraqi Revolution (1991), and Churchill (1993). He is the past President of the American Historical Association and the present Director of the AHA's National History Center. He is Editor-in-Chief of The Oxford History of the British Empire, and the former Chairman of the Historical Advisory Committee, U.S. Department of State (resigned on principle, 2008).