Mark Grimsley

Mark Grimsley is an Associate Professor of History at The Ohio State University, specializing in US History to 1877 and Military History, with particular expertise in the Civil War era. He holds a PhD (1992) and BA (1982) from The Ohio State University, and an MA in War Studies from King's College London (1985).

• Education: B.A., History, OSU (1982); M.A., War Studies, King's College London (1985); Ph.D., History, OSU (1992).

His research explores Union military policies toward Southern civilians during the Civil War, military strategy, and the intersection of warfare and society. He has authored/co-authored seminal works like The Hard Hand of War (1995, Lincoln Prize winner) and textbooks such as Warfare in the Western World. His column Battle Films in World War II magazine critiques films for historical insights into war, blending popular culture with academic rigor.

Grimsley received OSU’s highest teaching award (1999) and the Army’s Outstanding Civilian Service Medal (2010) for reforming the U.S. Army War College’s military history program. He co-founded the Society for Military History’s Social Media Fellowship. A mental health advocate since his bipolar disorder diagnosis (1988), he publishes openly on mental health stigma and volunteers with suicide prevention.

• Awards: Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching (1999), Outstanding Civilian Service Medal (2010), Clio Award (1994).
• Advising/Grants: Served as Harold Keith Johnson Chair at U.S. Army War College (2008–2010). Currently authoring Answering the Cry for Help: The Modern Study of Suicide and Suicidal Behavior in the U.S., 1949–2019.

His work bridges academic and public history, emphasizing accessible scholarship and ethical military analysis.