Brooke L. Blower, chair and professor of history, has been appointed as the Jon Westling Professor of History, effective July 1.
The Jon Westling Professorship in History is awarded to an outstanding faculty member working in any subfield of history. Established through the philanthropic support of Trustee Emeritus Richard B. DeWolfe and other donors, the professorship honors former Boston University President and Professor of History Jon Westling. The professorship was most recently held by Nina Silber, who retired last year.
Professor Blower was recommended for this appointment by a faculty advisory committee of five senior faculty: Cinzia Arruzza (Chair), Maria Stata Chair in Classical Greek Studies; David Frankfurter, William Goodwin Aurelio Chair of the Appreciation of Scripture; Steven Smith, William Goodwin Aurelio Chair in Greek Language and Literature; Emilie Townes, Martin Luther King, Jr. Professor of Religion & Black Studies in the BU School of Theology; and Chad Williams, Tomorrow Foundation Chair of American History. The committee was supported by Katie Hamel, special projects administrator in the CAS Office of the Dean.
The committee evaluated eligible nominees based on a sustained record of excellence in scholarly research, teaching, mentorship, and service within their department, the College, and the University. Nominees were also expected to demonstrate international standing in their discipline, ongoing momentum as active scholars, and the promise of continued excellence in research, teaching, and service, as well as a commitment to the principles articulated in Boston University’s Living Our Values Initiative. After careful deliberation and review of the committee’s assessment, and with the provost’s approval, I was pleased to appoint Professor Blower as the next holder of the Jon Westling Professorship in History.
A leading historian of modern America in transnational contexts, Professor Blower’s research examines American political culture, travel, and war in global and urban settings. Her first book, Becoming Americans in Paris: Transatlantic Politics and Culture between the World Wars (Oxford University Press, 2011), won the Gilbert Chinard Book Prize from the Society for French Historical Studies and the James P. Hanlan Best Book Award from the New England Historical Association. Her most recent book, Americans in a World at War: Intimate Histories from the Crash of Pan Am’s Yankee Clipper (Oxford University Press, 2023), won the New Deal Book Award from the Living New Deal Society and was a finalist for the Gilder Lehrman Military History Prize.
In its recommendation, the committee highlighted Professor Blower’s international reputation and extraordinary scholarly momentum, as well as her exceptional leadership, teaching, and service. She co‑founded Modern American History in 2016, now one of the most‑read journals in the field, and she has served on advisory boards for the American Historical Review and the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, as well as on judging panels for the National Endowment for the Humanities. Her work has received funding support from the American Council of Learned Societies, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Mellon Foundation.
The committee also praised Professor Blower as an outstanding teacher and mentor. Her teaching excellence has been recognized with the CAS Wisneski Award for Excellence in Teaching, the History Department’s Gitner Prize for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, and the Metcalf Cup and Prize, Boston University’s highest teaching honor. Her courses are consistently among the department’s most popular, and her graduate advisees have gone on to prizes, honors, and leading academic positions. As current chair of the Department of History and former interim director of the American Studies Program, she has demonstrated impressive leadership, particularly in mentoring junior faculty and fostering a supportive departmental culture.
Former University President and Professor of History Jon Westling was a distinguished scholar, a dedicated academic leader, and a passionate teacher. Professor Blower’s scholarship, leadership, and service—along with her deep generosity and commitment to supporting others—reflect those same ideals and exemplify the values this professorship was created to honor.