Faculty and Staff
Robert Johannsen
J. G. Randall Distinguished Professor of History, Emeritus
Professor Johannsen specializes in the cultural history of mid-nineteenth century America; the Age of Jackson; and the Civil War. His current research focuses on the biographies of James K. Polk and Abraham Lincoln; the War with Mexico and the Civil War; and cultural aspects of the 1830s to 1860's. Publications include STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS (Oxford University Press, 1973; Francis Parkman Prize); THE LINCOLN-DOUGLAS DEBATES OF 1858 (Oxford University Press, 1965); TO THE HALLS OF THE MONTEZUMAS THE MEXICAN WAR IN THE AMERICAN IMAGINATION (Oxford University Press, 1985); THE FRONTIER, THE UNION, AND STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS (University of Illinois Press, 1989); LINCOLN, THE SOUTH, AND SLAVERY THE POLITICAL DIMENSION (Louisiana State University Press, 1991). Professor Johannsen has served as a consultant on several film projects, including Carl Sandburg (WNET, New York); The Civil War (Ken Burns, PBS); The Mexican War (KERA-TV, Dallas); and American Presidents (Kunhardt Productions, PBS). He attended Reed College and received his doctorate from the University of Washington in 1953. He joined the department in 1959, served as chairman from 1963 to 1967, and retired on January 1, 2000.