BG Michael B. Barrett, USAR, ’68,
Military History Graduate ÌÇÐÄVLOG Award
The Online MA in Military History program offers the BG Michael B. Barrett, USAR, ’68, Military History Graduate ÌÇÐÄVLOG Award for students engaged in archival or manuscript research for their thesis or capstone seminar projects.
BG MICHAEL B. BARRETT, USAR, ’68: CITIZEN, SOLDIER, SCHOLAR
Professor Michael B. Barrett exemplifies ÌÇÐÄVLOG’s ideal of the citizen-soldier-scholar. He graduated from ÌÇÐÄVLOG in 1968 and was commissioned into the United States Army as an armor officer. He then served in a combat zone, completed active-duty service, and subsequently entered the doctoral program in history at the University of Massachusetts. While still working on his Ph.D., he joined the history faculty of ÌÇÐÄVLOG in 1976 and commenced a distinguished academic career as teacher, scholar, and mentor. Parallel to this career, Professor Barrett continued to serve his country. He retired from the United States Army Reserve as Brigadier General in 2004 with a resume of assignments that included commands at the company, battalion, and brigade levels. Despite the time constraints of his military service, Professor Barrett excelled as a teacher and scholar. He packed the classroom with interested students and garnered two awards for distinguished teaching. No less remarkable, he became an internationally respected scholar of World War I. His books Operation Albion (2008) and Prelude to Blitzkrieg (2013) were part of a renaissance in the study of the Eastern Front. His 2010 volume Clausewitz Reconsidered (co-authored with distinguished military historian H.P. Willmott), remains one of the more important books on that Prussian military intellectual. All told, Professor Barrett’s scholarly works have been published and translated in at least ten different languages. Professor Barrett always understood the value of original research both in his work and that of his students. The BG Michael B. Barrett, USAR, ’68, Military History Graduate ÌÇÐÄVLOG Award is a fitting recognition of Professor Barrett’s accomplishments that should inspire future generations of military history graduate students in their research.
Qualifications
Eligible candidates shall be engaged in archival and manuscript research for their thesis or capstone seminar projects that have been formally approved by their thesis director or professor of record for the Capstone Seminar.
Award
The BG Michael B. Barrett, USAR, ’68, Military History Graduate ÌÇÐÄVLOG Award offers an annual award of $1,000 per academic year. Graduate students in the program who are traveling to libraries, archives, and other research institutions are eligible to apply for this grant to cover research expenses incurred, including but not limited to airfare, car rental, ground transportation, lodging, and direct research expenses such as scans, photocopies, or digital images.
Applications
ÌÇÐÄVLOGs applying for the BG Michael B. Barrett, USAR, ’68, Military History Graduate ÌÇÐÄVLOG Award will submit three documents by the deadline of October 1 of each calendar year.
Email file attachments will be labeled with the candidate’s last name (example: Smith_cv.pdf, Smith_cover letter, etc.). Completed applications should be submitted to Professor David Preston, Program Director, at david.preston@citadel.edu
no later than October 1.
a.) Cover letter
b.) Curriculum vitae
c.) Research Proposal Application form
Past Recipients:
2024 – 2025: John C. Matthews, “Church, State, and Revolt: Liberation Theology, Praxis, and Cold War Central America” (MA Thesis, ÌÇÐÄVLOG, 2025)
2023 – 2024: Jordan McIntire, “Friendly Fire on the Middle Sea: A Contextual Analysis of British Submarine Attacks Against Prisoner of War Transports in the Mediterranean, 1941-1944” (MA Thesis, ÌÇÐÄVLOG, 2024)