Publications:
Referreed Works:
“The Mysterious Case of the ‘Mad’ Rector of Bletchingdon: The Treatment of Mentally Ill Clergy in Late Thirteenth-Century England,” in Madness in Medieval Law and Custom, ed. Wendy J. Turner (Leiden and Boston, Brill Press, 2010), 57-80.
“The Friar Tuck Syndrome: Clerical Violence and the Barons’ War,” in The Final Argument: The Imprint of Violence on Society in Medieval and Early Modern Europe, ed. Donald Kagay and L.J. Andrew Villalon (Woodbridge, Suffolk, U.K.: The Boydell Press, 1998), 27-52.
Non-referreed Works:
“Bishops, Priests, and Monks: The Clerical World of the Medieval Diocese,” in Midwestern State University Faculty Papers (Series 3, Vol. XVI, 2004-2006). This paper was a presentation for a general audience concerning the research project I have been pursuing since 1998.
“Henry III, King of England: Good King-Bad King, Strong King-Weak King,” in MSU Faculty Papers (1997-2000).
“The Papal Curia and the Investiture Controversy,” in MSU Faculty Papers, (1978-79).
“Aristocratic Revolution: the English Barons and the Clergy in Simon de Montfort’s Rebellion,” in MSU Faculty Papers (1975-76).
Works in Progress:
I am continuing work on a book manuscript which deals with the English diocese of Lincoln in the thirteenth century (discussed more extensively in the section on scholarly activity).
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Papers Presented:
“Benedictine Monastic Houses and their Patronage of Parish Churches in Thirteenth-Century England,” at the annual conference of the Mid-America Medieval Association [hereafter, MAMA], presented at the Conception Abbey and Conception Seminary College in Northern Missouri (February 25, 2010).
“Episcopal Response to the Constitution “Cum ex eo,” of Boniface VIII in Late
Thirteenth and early Fourteenth-Century England,” at the Forty-fourth
International Congress on Medieval Studies, Western Michigan University
(May 2009)
“Bishop Hugh of Welles and His Campaign to Educate the Clergy of the Diocese of Lincoln,” at the Forty-second International Congress on Medieval Studies, Western Michigan University (May 2007).
“Penitential and Disciplinary Practices in the Later Middle Ages,” Conference of the Mid-America Medieval Association, University of Missouri-Kansas City (February 2007).
“Simon de Montfort’s Rebellion: Barons’ War or Peasants’ Revolt,” Forty-first International Congress on Medieval Studies, Western Michigan University, (May 2006).
“The English Common Law and the Clergy,” annual conference of the Texas Medieval Association [hereafter TEMA], University of Houston (October 2005)
“Walter de Cantilupe and the Bishops: Age influencing Youth,” at the International Medieval Congress, University of Leeds, UK (July 2005).
“Miracles as Responses to Political and Social Unrest in Medieval England,” at the Fortieth International Congress on Medieval Studies, Western Michigan University (May 2005).
“The Mysterious Case of the Mad Rector of Bletchingdon: The Treatment of Mentally Incompetent Clergy in Late Thirteenth-Century England,” at the Thirty-ninth International Congress on Medieval Studies, Western Michigan University (May 2004). This paper is the basis for the chapter included in newly published volume on the mentally ill in late medieval England by Brill.
(See above under publications).
“Violence and Parish Churches in Thirteenth-Century England,” MAMA, University of Missouri, Columbia (February 2004).
“Bishops, Monks and Priests: A Detailed Examination of a Medieval Diocese,” Midwestern University Faculty Forum.
“A Medieval Bishop as Workaholic: Oliver Sutton of Lincoln,” MAMA annual conference, University of Missouri, Kansas City (February 2003).
“Bishops, Abbots, Priors and the Royal Courts: The struggle for Clerical Property Rights in early thirteenth-century England,” TEMA, St. Thomas University, Houston (October 2002)
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“Rebel vs. Royalist Bishops and the Clerical Leadership of England during the Barons’ War (1263-1267),” TEMA, University of St. Thomas, Houston (October 2002).
“Bishops’ Registers and Social History,” MAMA, University of Missouri-Kansas City (February 2001)
“Monastics and the English Pastoral Clergy,” MAMA, University of Missouri-Kansas City (February 1999).
“ King Henry III of England: Good King, Bad King?” This was a shorter version of my MSU Faculty Forum paper. It was delivered as the Presidential Address at the annual conference of the Texas Medieval Association, Trinity University, San Antonia (September 1998).
“King Henry III of England: Good King, Bad King–Strong King, Weak King?” Midwestern State University Faculty Forum (1998).
“Where were the Friars?” MAMA, University of Missouri-Kansas City (February 1997)
“The Nature of Aristocratic Rebellion,” TEMA, Our Lady of the Lake University, San Antonia (September 1993).
“Aristocrats, Curiales, and Bishops: The Brothers Giffard,” MAMA, University of Missouri-Kansas City (February 1993)
“Institutions and Reform: The Case of the Medieval Church and the Reformation,” Inaugural Alpha Chi Lecture, Midwestern State Unversity (1984).
“The Lesser English Clergy and the Barons’ War of 1264-1267,” Western Conference on British Studies, University of Colorado, Boulder (October 1983).
“Prelates and Rebellion: The English Bishops and the Barons’ War,” Rocky Mountain Conference on British Studies, Salt Lake City, Utah (September 1282)
“The English Legal Records and Social History: The Case of the Clergy and Simon de Montfort’s Rebellion,” MAMA, Emporia State University (February 1980)
“The Papal Curia and the Investiture Controversy,” Midwestern State University Faculty Forum (1978).
“Aristocratic Revolution: The English Barons and Clergy in Simon de Montfort’s Rebellion,” Midwestern State University Faculty Forum (1976)
Additional Scholarly Activity:
I served as the first editor of the MSU Press from 1981 to 1983. As editor I supervised the publication of its first work A Pictorial History of Wichita Falls. The book was conceived as a contribution to the celebration of the one-hundredth anniversary of the founding of the city by Michael Duty, then curator of the Wichita Falls Museum and Art Center who wrote the introduction.
I was also editor of the MSU Faculty Papers from 1977 to 1982. At that time
Faculty Papers printed off-campus on state controlled contracts which meant that I
regularly dealt with printing houses in Austin.
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Professional Involvements:
Offices Held:
I am a founding member of the Texas Medieval Association which was inspired by the success as a regional association of the Mid-America Medieval Association. A number of faculty, graduate students and independent scholars working in Texas decided that we could create a similar organization at a meeting of MAMA in Denton, Texas. TEMA formally began at a meeting at SMU a few months later. Since then I have served as a member of the board of the association and in 1996, I was elected president for 1997-1998. I recently returned from our twentieth annual conference which was held at SMU to celebrate twenty outstanding years as one of the nations most successful regional organizations on Medieval Studies.
Sessions Chaired at Academic Meetings:
Moderator of a Round Table discussion of recent historiographical movements in Medieval Military History, at the annual conference of the Texas Medieval Association on the campus of Southern Methodist University, September 24-26, 2010.
On “The Unquiet Isle: Examinations of Medieval England,” at the annual conference
of the Texas Medieval Association (as above and hereafter TEMA).
On “The Crusades: New Directions,” at the Forty-fifth International Congress on Medieval Studies on the campus of Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan, May 13-16, 2010 [this the most important single conference on medieval studies in the world].
On “East and West: In Tears, Travel, and Council.” at the annual conference of the Mid-America Medieval Association (hereafter MAMA), at Conception Abbey and Seminary College in Northern Missouri, February 26, 2010.
On “Written and Visual Records in Medieval Culture” (October 23), and “Ancient Religious Survivals and Medieval Critiques of Orthodox Christianity” (October 24), at the annual conference of the TEMA, October 22-24, 2009 at the University of Texas, Austin, 2009.
On “Ancient Religious Survivals and Medieval Critiques of Orthodox Christianity.” at the annual conference of TEMA (October 22-24, 2009) at the University of Texas-Austin.
On Medieval Governments at War: Administrative Elements, at the annual conference of TEMA, Texas Tech University (October 2008)
On Patronage and Piety in Medieval Society, at the Annual Conference of MAMA at the University of Missouri-Kansas City (February 2009).
Undergraduate Papers on American History presented at the National Convention
of Alpha Chi at Indianapolis, Indiana (April 2009).
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On the Historiography of the Crusades, at the Forty-fourth International Congress
of Medieval Studies, Western Michigan University (May 2009)
On Emotional Outbursts in Medieval Law, at the Forty-third International Congress on Medieval Studies, Western Michigan University (May 2008).
On the Correspondence of St. Anselm of Canterbury, Forty-first Congress on Medieval Studies, Western Michigan University (May 2006)
On Episcopal Reform and Action in Medieval Europe, Fortieth International Congress on Medieval Studies, Western Michigan University (May 2005).
Undergraduate papers presented at the bi-regional conference of Alpha Chi at Paul Quinn University, Dallas, TX in April 2006.
On Lay and Ecclesiastical Political Clashes in Medieval Europe, at the International Medieval Congress, at the University of Leeds, UK (July 2005)
History Session for undergraduate papers at the National Convention of Alpha Chi, St. Louis, Missouri (April 2005)
On Medieval England, MAMA, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Missouri (February 2005)
As both chair and commentator for two Phi Alpha Theta (History Honor Society), one on Ancient and the other on Medieval History, Southwest Social Science annual Conference, San Antonio, TX (April 2003).
A session of undergraduate papers at the 2002 Regional Convention of Alpha Chi at the University of Texas, Arlington (April 2002)
On Medieval Art and Architecture, TEMA, Trinity University, San Antonio, TX (September 2001)
On Medieval England, TEMA, Trinity University, San Antonio, TX (September 1998)
On Medieval Church History, TEMA, University of Texas, Arlington, TX (September 1997)
On Medieval Warfare, TEMA, Trinity University, San Antonio, TX (September 1995)
On Medieval History, Phi Alpha Theta Session-History Honor Society, Southwestern Social Science Annual Conference, Dallas, TX (March 1995)
On Medieval Church History, TEMA, Our Lady of the Lake University, San Antonio, TX (September 1994)
On 18th and 19th Century English History, Phi Alpha Theta-History Honor Society, Southwestern Social Sciences Association Conference, Fort Worth, TX (March 1989)
On 16th Century England, Western Conference on British Studies, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico (October 1984).
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Professional Associations:
Texas Medieval Association.
Member of the Mid-America Medieval Association since 1978, its second year of existence and I have attended almost every annual conference of the association since then.
In addition I am a member of the following professional associations:
Western Conference on British Studies
The Lincoln Record Society (UK)
The Friends of the Institute for Historical Research, University of London
The Institute for Medieval Studies, the University of Leeds, UK
The White Hart Society (Dedicated to the Study of Late Medieval England)
Episcopus (Dedicated to the Study of Medieval Bishops)
An honorary member of the following Honor Societies:
Phi Alpha Theta
Phi Eta Sigma
Alpha Chi
SERVICE:
University:
Committees:
Core Curriculum Committee (Two separate three year terms)on the original Core Curriculum Committee (1977-1980). At the present time I am the only continuing member of the faculty who served on that committee for its entire term. Dr. Rogers chaired the committee and Dr. Rodney Cate joined the committee in its second year. I authored the statement on the purpose of the core when it was finally approved.
The second term on the committee (2006-2008) was dominated by the demands for
assessment of the core’s effectiveness from the Texas Coordinating Board and the Southern Association.
Standing and Ad Hoc Committees:
The Library Committee.
Pre-Law Committee
Pre-Med Committee
Who’s Who Committee (chaired), 1979-1980.
Honors Program Committee:
Member (1980-1984)
Chair (1987-1991)
Ad Hoc Committee on Student Retention
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Ad Hoc Committee to evaluate the Effectiveness of the Faculty Development Leave program
Ad Hoc Committee to nominate a Division Chair for the Humanities and Social Sciences.
Authored the statement on University Purpose for the Self-Study in 1980, and on the Undergraduate Education Committee for the Self-Study of 1990.
I have also served on many ad-hoc committees involving Student Retention, Division Curriculum, Selection of Division Chairs, and so on.
I served as Acting Chairman of the Department of History from May to December 1979.
I served as the first editor of the MSU Press and supervised the publication of its first work, A Pictorial History of Wichita Falls (1982).
For the five years from 1977 to 1982, I served as editor of the MSU Faculty Papers.
For the past twenty years, my major university activity has been as the Official Sponsor of Alpha Chi, the university’s National Honor Society for Juniors and Seniors. I became sponsor in the fall of 1990 and continued in that position until 2006.. I continue serve as an Associate Sponsor for Alpha Chi although Dr. Pamela Stephens has assumed the responsibilities of Chief Sponsor.
As Alpha Chi sponsor, I participated in the annual Honors Symposiums which were sponsored by the MSU Honor societies until they were cancelled in 1997.
I participated in the annual College Bowl Competition sponsored by Alpha
Chi as well as the selection and training of the university varsity college bowl
team for many years in the 1990s (Alpha Chi still attempts to support College Bowl although the direction of the College competition and the university team has been almost wholly done by Dr. Mark Farris in the recent past). In 1994, I joined Dr. Campbell and Dr. Charles Ramser as advisors of our College Bowl team at the national championship on the campus of the University of Florida at Gainsville.
Professional Service:
Vice-President and President of the Texas Medieval Association
(1995-1998)
Vice-President and President of Region I of Alpha Chi (2000-2004)
Community Service:
Provided an address on life and culture of the Classical Greek community
for the Greek Fortnight program of 2011.
Address to the Kiwanis Club of Wichita Falls on the topic of History and Integrity in Society (Spring 2007.
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A monthly series of lectures on Church History for a Sunday School class at First Methodist Church of Wichita Falls (Summer 2004). I am not a member of the church. I am a member of the parish of Our Lady Queen of Peace. The lectures were at the request of members who know me.
Another series of lectures on early and medieval Church History at First Methodist (summer 2003)
Lecture on the Scots-Irish in America for the Wichita County Genealogical Society (Spring 1997)
Served on the Scholarship Selection Committee for the annual grants by the Sheppard Air Force Base Officers’ Wives Club (1992-97)
Lectures on Church History for youth groups at Sacred Heart Catholic Church (1993)
Lectures again on Medieval and Reformation Church History for several different study groups at First Methodist Church (1991-1994)
Address to the Downtown Rotary Club of Wichita Falls on Winston Churchill (1990)
Served as a consultant for the Academic Decathlon Team of Wichita Falls High School (Fall 1987)
A series of lectures on the Renaissance for the Senior Humanities Class of S. H. Rider High School (1987)
Address to the Rotary Club of Burkburnett on the Writing of the United States Constitution (Summer 1987)
Address to the Wichita Falls Chapter of the DAR at the Womens’ Forum on the background and education of the authors of the U.S. Constitution in September 1986 marking their commemoration of the 200th Anniversary of the Constitution. (The Annapolis Convention which initiated the Constitutional Convention met in
September 1986)
Lectures on medieval England for the combined senior English classes at S. H. Rider High School (Fall 1885)
Address to the Annual Convocation of the National Honors Society at S. H. Rider High School (Fall 1984)
A Lenten series on the Medieval Church for All Saints Episcopal Church of Wichita Falls (March 1980)
Lecture to the MSU Anthropology Society on the Study of History (March 1980)
Address to the Annual Convocation of the National Honors Society of Munday High School (December 1980)
Address to the National Honors Society of Wichita Falls High Schools (a combined meeting of all three schools–1979)
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Awards and Honors:
Chosen by the members of Alpha Chi as Outstanding member of the faculty for the inaugural Alpha Chi Lecture (1984)
Nominated for the Faculty Award by Mortar Board (1998)
Nominated for the Piper Professor Award by the faculty of the Prothro-Yeager College of Humanities and Social Sciences (2005).
