Louise B. Dunbar was a distinguished history professor at the University of Illinois from 1920 to 1962, who was well known for her extensive research on the American colonial period. During her 41 years of teaching, she shaped future historians by creating entertaining lectures about early American history and mentoring numerous graduate students.

Beyond teaching, Dunbar continued to contribute scholarly work by routinely publishing research that challenged assumptions about early American Democracy. After her retirement from the University, she was well-remembered for her perfectionism in her historical research and teaching.

A Woman in the Professions

Louise Dunbar became a professor at the University of Illinois during a time when women rarely held positions in higher education settings. In 1916, she received her bachelor’s in history from Mount Holyoke, one of the 7 Sisters – colleges that were formed to provide women high-quality educations that were comparable to men’s Ivy Leagues. There, she was influenced by her mentor Susan Stifler to get a master’s degree at Stifler’s alma mater, the University of Illinois.

After earning her Ph.D. at Illinois in 1920, Dunbar joined the history faculty, long before women and minority men were largely welcomed into elite occupations. Already, she was redefining what historians look like and what women were capable of.

Her Research and Teaching

During her time at Illinois, Dunbar published insightful research about the political and social forces that influenced the creation of the American republic. Her dissertation “A Study of Monarchical Tendencies in the United States: from 1776 to 1801” was republished as a book and considered by scholars as culturally important since it provided information on the foundational basis of American civilization. Her articles exploring early colonial America were continuously advertised by the history department.

Dunbar also taught courses on early American history at Illinois. Beyond the classroom, she gave short radio presentations on the University’s public radio WILL-AM. Additionally, she even taught World War II soldiers early American history as part of the Army Specialized Training Program, a program that helped soldiers become college-educated.

Fun Fact

Computers didn’t exist for most of Dunbar’s career, so all of Dunbar’s research, including her notes, had to either be typewritten or handwritten. Imagine having to typewrite a 200-page dissertation!

Dunbar retired in 1962 and was 81 years old when she passed away in 1975. In the University’s History Department newsletter, she was well remembered for her devoted research efforts and how she creatively garnered the attention of her students.