Harmsworth Professorship of American History

The Harold Vyvyan Harmsworth Professorship in American History is an exciting
opportunity for highly distinguished scholars. Applications are now invited
for the academic years 2025-26, 2026-27 and 2027-28. The tenure of each
professorship is for 12 months starting in September or October (to be
agreed).





The Harmsworth Professorship was established in 1921 and is the oldest chair
in American history in the UK. Past holders have included many of the leading
American historians of the last century including Allan Nevins, David M.
Potter, C. Vann Woodward, David Brion Davis, Jack P. Greene, David Hackett
Fischer, Eric Foner, Annette Gordon-Reed, Robin Kelley, Kathryn Kish Sklar,
and Barbara D. Savage among many others.





The Chair is appointed by the Faculty of History but is based in the
Rothermere American Institute (RAI), Oxford’s centre for the study of America
and its place in the world, whose mission is to support research in Oxford and
beyond, to act as a catalyst for interdisciplinary work and research
collaboration, and to engage non-university audiences, all with the aim of
improving the scholarly and public understanding of America. The RAI's role as
a forum for intellectual exchange is of particular importance for the
Harmsworth Professor. The Professor will also become a Fellow of The Queen’s
College, which provides another intellectual home. The Professor will have
full dining rights at Queen’s.





You will be expected to deliver one major public lecture (the Harmsworth
Lecture), and to co-teach an introductory graduate class to the Masters
students studying US history. You will also be encouraged to offer informal
guidance to graduate research students working in relevant fields, to deliver
undergraduate lectures, to attend research seminars at the RAI, and generally
to contribute to the intellectual life of the RAI, the College and the History
Faculty.





You will be paid a stipend of £77,312 (at 2023 rates). Funds are also
available to pay for return air travel and visa fees (if applicable), and to
convene a small conference, usually held in the spring. You will also be
provided with free accommodation in a spacious house in Oxford. If you will
require a visa in order to take up this position in the UK, it will be your
responsibility to obtain a visa, although the University will provide advice
and assistance as necessary.





The closing date for applications is 12:00 (UK time) on **Monday** **16
October 2023**.





Applications are to be made online via the link below. Please complete the
application form and give details of three referees when prompted. You should
upload the following documents with your application:





* your CV (including publications list)


* a covering letter including:




\- an outline of the research you would plan to undertake at Oxford during
your tenure as the Harmsworth Visiting Professor

\- an indication of how your work would complement that of the History Faculty
and the Rothermere American Institute, including any topics you could offer to
teach at undergraduate or graduate level

\- your availability for the academic years 2025-26, 2026-27 and 2027-28, and
any preferences





For an informal discussion about this post, please contact Professor Adam
Smith, Director of the Rothermere American Institute, on +44 (0)1865 282731 or
adam.smith@rai.ox.ac.uk.