History's Margerison named 20th Piper Professor from Texas State

Posted by Jayme Blaschke
University News Service
May 8, 2013

Kenneth H. Margerison, a professor in the Department of History at Texas State University, has been named Piper Professor for 2013 by the Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation.

Margerison was named Piper Professor on May 1 in honor of his dedication and service to teaching at the collegiate level. Piper Foundation honorees are chosen by committee members who look for well-rounded, outgoing teachers, devoted to their profession and have made a special impact on their students and the community.

"I'm very honored to receive it, since it's a statewide award and recognition. That makes it quite meaningful to me," Margerison said. "There is a good number of faculty here at Texas State who have already received it, so I'm quite pleased to be part of that group.

"I teach because I enjoy working with my students. I enjoy both the teaching of the subject matter--which in my case is history--as well as getting students to think about their future, and how to get their education to help them achieve their goals for the future," he said. "I view it as teaching a discipline as well as mentoring students and helping them through the labyrinth we have at Texas State and the outside world."

A member of the Texas State faculty since 1972, Margerison began as an instructor in the Department of History and has since held the titles of assistant professor, associate professor and professor in the college. He also serves on the Department of History's program review committee and is a personnel committee advisor to the department chair.

Margerison adds his Piper Professor designation to a list of prestigious accolades including the Texas State Everett Swinney Teaching Award (1990, 2005, 2006), the Mariel M. Muir Mentoring Award (2010), Honors Program Professor of the Year (1991), the National Council of Higher Education James M. Davenport Award (2002) as well as favorite professor awards from student organizations. He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Eta Sigma and Phi Alpha Theta honor societies and was awarded a National Endowment for the Humanities summer seminar fellowship in 1987 for the Newberry Library, Chicago, Ill.

Margerison earned his B.A. in history from the University of North Carolina in 1967, his master’s from Duke University in 1969 and his Ph.D. in 1973, also from Duke.

Margerison is the 20th overall Texas State professor to be named a Piper Professor. Other Texas State Piper Professors have been Emmie Craddock, 1962, history; Robert Galvan, 1968, modern languages; Thomas Brasher, 1970, English; Dan Farlow, 1975, political science; Clarence Schultz, 1976, sociology; Henrietta Avent, 1979, health and physical education; Robert Walts, 1982, English; Beverly Chiodo, 1988, computer information systems and administrative sciences; Barbara Hatcher, 1993, curriculum and instruction; Michael John Hennessy, 2001, English; Nancy Fehl Chavkin, 2002, social work; Paul Nathan Cohen, 2003, English; James David Bell, 2004, business; Byron Dale Augustin, 2005, geography; Christopher Frost, 2006, psychology; James Housefield, 2007, art history; Brock Brown, 2008, geography; Max Warshauer, 2010, mathematics; and Steven Furney, 2012, health and human performance.