A military historian who has written an award-winning book about the early U.S. Army Officer Corps will retire this spring after 30 years on the faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

William Skelton, author of "An American Profession of Arms: The Army Officer Corps, 1784-1861," published by the University of Kansas Press, plans to continue to do research and write about military history during retirement. His book was recognized by the U. S. Army Chief of Staff as recommended reading and by the Society of Military History as a distinguished book. He also has written several journal articles and book chapters about the military.

A native of New York, who grew up in Massachusetts, Skelton was educated at Bowdoin College and Northwestern University. He came to UWSP in 1969 after teaching for four years at The Ohio State University.

At UWSP Skelton has been involved with the Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies since its founding. He has been recognized by UWSP for excellence in teaching and in scholarship. In 1991 he received the Moncado Prize from the Society for Military History and this spring he will be recognized by the UWSP School of Education for advising broad-field social studies and history majors who plan to become teachers.

Skelton says UWSP is a "good place" where faculty have the opportunity to teach as well as conduct research, but are not pressured to publish. He says his department has been collegial due to a history of good leaders such as Pat Crow, Justus Paul, Bob Knowlton and Neil Lewis.

During his retirement, Skelton plans to continue living in Central Wisconsin with his wife, Gail, a sociologist, and to spend time with their daughter and family in Minneapolis. Travel, hiking and biking also are in his plans as is work on another book.

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