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Department of History Names New Chair
Dr. W. Roger Biles
Dr. W. Roger Biles
The Department of History has successfully completed its search for a new chair—Dr. W. Roger Biles will assume the role on July 16, 2005. Biles comes to ISU from Illinois University, where he was on a Visiting Professor appointment last year, and East Carolina University where he has served as Professor and Department Chair. “Dr. Biles is an experienced administrator and a respected scholar, and we are fortunate to have attracted him,” said Dean Olson. “As a top-notch administrator who prides himself on recruiting, retaining, and mentoring outstanding teacher-scholars all the while maintaining his own very active research agenda, Dr. Biles will add much to the Department, the College, and the University, and I am pleased to welcome him to ISU.”

 

Biles has served in several administrative posts, including Department Head at Oklahoma State University from 1987-1989 and 1991-1993; Interim Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at Oklahoma State University from 1993-1994; and Department Chair at East Carolina University from 1994-1998.

Biles teaches courses in twentieth century U.S. history and urban history. He has written or edited nine books, including Richard J. Daley: Politics, Race, and the Governing of Chicago (1995), From Tenements to the Taylor Homes: In Search of an Urban Housing Policy in Twentieth-Century America (2000), and Encyclopedia of the Great Depression (2004). He has published articles in such journals as the Journal of Urban History, The Journal of Southern History, Labor History, Presidential Studies Quarterly, Planning Perspectives, the American Indian Culture and Research Journal, and the Journal of Negro History. He has served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Urban History Association and as a consultant for the U.S. Department of Education.

Biles earned his Ph.D. in 1981 from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He also holds a M.A. (1974) and a B.A. (1972) from the University of Illinois at Urbana.

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