Author and environmental historian Joshua Howe will become the new Wallace Stegner Endowed Chair in Western American Studies at Montana State University in August, according to an April 17 announcement.
The appointment is significant as it places Howe in a key role for advancing research and teaching on the American West, building on a position established to honor novelist and conservationist Wallace Stegner. The Stegner Chair was created in 1997 within MSU’s Department of History and Philosophy to continue Stegner’s legacy as a leading voice on Western issues.
Timothy LeCain, head of the history department, said Howe is well suited for this mission. “Stegner grew up in the West and was an ardent conservationist. His writing often spoke to the unforeseen consequences of the region’s boom-and-bust economies built around copper or timber,” LeCain said. “Josh’s research brings these themes into the post-World War II era, when the West became the national center of defense industries from atomic weapons to aviation. Our region’s role in the nearly half century-long Cold War is a central part of that story, and Josh is just the scholar to tell it.”
Howe previously taught at Reed College after earning his doctorate from Stanford University. He has written books such as “Warbody: A Marine Sniper and the Hidden Violence of Modern Warfare” and “Behind the Curve: Science and the Political History of Global Warming.” He plans to expand MSU’s focus on Western American history by working with students, collaborating with MSU’s Ivan Doig Center for regional studies, establishing a Stegner Scholar Series for mid-career scholars, and overseeing visiting lectures like that delivered by historian Elliott West earlier this year.
“I’ve had a great 14-year run there [at Reed College], very teaching focused and student focused, and I’m excited to bring that experience to Montana State,” Howe said. He added about his new position: “I’m excited about a job that incentivizes me to be more active in the field of history of the American West and environmental history. It doesn’t hurt that the chair is named for one of my literary heroes.”
The creation of this endowed chair was made possible through donations from Susan Heyneman—a friend of Stegner—and her family who have long been involved in ranching in Montana. Ten years ago, additional support helped establish its current form focusing on pressing Western issues across humanities disciplines; it remains MSU’s only endowed chair in humanities.
William Thomas, dean of MSU’s College of Letters and Science, said: “Endowed chairs like the Stegner Chair raise national visibility…and benefit our students by attracting leading scholars…Josh Howe is an innovative scholar and a dedicated teacher. We’re delighted he will join us as Stegner Chair at MSU.”
Montana State University leads research funding efforts statewide with annual expenditures exceeding $288 million according to its official website. The university also contributes through volunteer work, outreach programs, and research aimed at improving lives locally and environmentally according to its official website. It ranks among top global universities per international rankings according to its official website, enrolls approximately 17,165 students split between residents and nonresidents according to its official website, operates as Montana’s land-grant institution focusing on research-driven solutions according to its official website, and extends influence beyond state borders according to its official website.