Walter T. Durham
Walter T. Durham (October 7, 1924 – May 24, 2013) was an American historian. He was the Tennessee State Historian from 2002 to 2013, and the author of 24 books of local history.
Walter T. Durham | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 7, 1924 Gallatin, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | May 24, 2013 (aged 88) |
| Education | University of Wisconsin Vanderbilt University |
| Occupation | Local historian |
| Spouse | Anna Armstrong Coile |
| Children | 4 |
| Parent(s) | George Franklin Durham Celeste McAlister |
Early life
Durham was born on October 7, 1924, in Gallatin, Tennessee, to George Franklin Durham and Celeste McAlister.[1][2] His paternal grandfather, J. T. Durham, served as a member of the Tennessee Senate.[3] He served in the United States Army during World War II between 1943 and 1946.[1] He subsequently attended the University of Wisconsin, and he graduated from Vanderbilt University, where he earned bachelor of arts and master's degrees.[1][2]
Career
Durham worked as a businessman in Gallatin.[1] He was the founding president of the Tennessee Heritage Alliance, later known as the Tennessee Preservation Trust.[1] He also served as the president of the Tennessee Historical Society, and as the chairman of the Tennessee Historical Commission.[1] In 2002, he was appointed as the Tennessee State Historian by Governor Don Sundquist.[1]
Durham was the author of 24 books of local history.[1] He wrote about the Antebellum era like Congressman Balie Peyton or the Rose Mont plantation; the American Civil War of 1861–1865 in Tennessee; and the post-bellum era like the forty-niners from Tennessee who took part in the California Gold Rush.
Personal life, death and legacy
Durham married Anna Armstrong Coile, and they had four children.[1] They resided in Gallatin.[1]
Durham died on May 24, 2013, at 88.[1][3] His funeral was held at the First Methodist Church of Gallatin.[3] He was succeeded as the Tennessee State Historian by Carroll Van West.[4] Durham is the namesake of the Tennessee Historical Society's Walter Durham Award, given annually to scholars.[5] The Walter T. Durham Bridge was named in his honor in 2015.[2][6]
References
- Kingsbury, Sarah; Garrison, Joey (May 26, 2013). "Walter Durham 1924–2013". The Tennessean. pp. 1B, 3B. Retrieved March 31, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- Nelson, Josh (May 10, 2015). "SR 109 Bridge named after Walter Durham". Gallatin News. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
- Hall, Patrick (May 29, 2013). "Community remembers the life of Walter T. Durham". Gallatin News. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
- Phillips, Betsy (July 11, 2013). "Carroll Van West Is Our New State Historian". Nashville Scene. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
- "Walter T. Durham Award". Tennessee Historical Quarterly. 72 (2): 157. Summer 2013. JSTOR 43825613.
- Cross, Josh (May 4, 2015). "State Route 109 bridge name carries honor for Durham family". The Tennessean. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
Selected works
- Durham, Walter T. (1997). Volunteer Forty-Niners: Tennesseans and the California Gold Rush. Nashville, Tennessee: Vanderbilt University Press. ISBN 9780585170930. OCLC 44959444.
- Durham, Walter T. (2002). Josephus Conn Guild and Rose Mont: Politics and Plantation in Nineteenth Century Tennessee. Franklin, Tennessee: Hillsboro Press. ISBN 9781577362883. OCLC 52238267.
- Durham, Walter T. (2004). Balie Peyton of Tennessee: Nineteenth Century Politics and Thoroughbreds. Franklin, Tennessee: Hillsboro Press. ISBN 9781577363231. OCLC 835774037.
- Durham, Walter T. (2008). Nashville: The Occupied City, 1862-1863. Knoxville, Tennessee: University of Tennessee Press. ISBN 9781572336339. OCLC 751448051.
- Durham, Walter T. (2008). Reluctant Partners: Nashville and the Union, 1863-1865. Knoxville, Tennessee: University of Tennessee Press. OCLC 760156820.