QUINCY, Ill. – Quincy University’s assistant professor of history, J. Matthew Ward, PhD, is the recipient of the 2022 Anne J. Bailey dissertation award from the Society of Civil War Historians for best Civil War dissertation. Ward receives the award November 12 in Baltimore, Maryland at the Annual Conference of the Southern Historical Association.

The award is distributed every year by the Society of Civil War Historians to recognize the best dissertation defended in the previous year that takes the US Civil War as its main focus. The prize consists of a $2,000 stipend, provided by the McWhiney History Education Group, with which historian Anne Bailey was affiliated for many years. A rotating committee of four historians read the submitted works and determine the winner each year.

Using Civil War Louisiana as its focus, Ward’s dissertation argues that military occupation and expensive state power during the US Civil War served as two of the primary mechanisms by which national states fought the war, stabilized order, and shaped the postwar nation. Ward earned a doctoral degree in US 19th century history from LSU in 2021.

Founded in 1860 by Franciscan friars, Quincy University is a small Catholic university emphasizing the sciences, liberal arts and the professions. Quincy University offers undergraduate, graduate and adult education programs integrating practical experience and Franciscan values. Faculty and advisors work with students to design customized success plans to help them graduate on time, find their passion and prepare them for life. QU is a member of NCAA Division II for intercollegiate athletics. For more information, please visit www.quincy.edu or contact the Office of Community Relations at (217) 228-5275 or communityrelations@quincy.edu. Quincy University. Success by Design.