Occupation Historian Name Robert Utley | Years active 1957 – present Role Author | |
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Spouse Melody Webb (1980-present) Awards Spur Award for Best Nonfiction Historical, Spur Award for Best Nonfiction Contemporary Books Billy the Kid, Cavalier in Buckskin, Custer and the Great Controversy, The Last Days of the Sioux Nat, A Life Wild and Perilous | ||
Read about it author interview robert m utley
Robert Marshall Utley (born October 31, 1929) is an American author and historian who has written sixteen books on the history of the American West. He is a former chief historian for the National Park Service.
Contents
The Western History Association annually gives out the Robert M. Utley Book Award for the best book published on the military history of the frontier and western North America (including Mexico and Canada) from prehistory through the 20th century.
Early life and education
Utley was born on October 31, 1929 in Bauxite, Arkansas. During his childhood, his parents, Don Williams Utley and Valeria Haney, moved him to northwestern Indiana, where he attended high school. Later, he attended nearby Purdue University, receiving a Bachelor of Science in history. He then attended Indiana University for graduate school, receiving a Master of Arts in history in 1952. Following his graduation, Utley served in the U.S. Army, and later worked for the National Park Service.