Marsha E Barrett

Marsha E. Barrett is an Assistant Professor of History at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, specializing in US political history, policy history, and African American history. She holds a PhD from Rutgers University and a BA from Yale University. Her research focuses on 20th-century American politics, particularly the evolution of Republicanism, the political influence of figures like Nelson Rockefeller, and voter dynamics among Black communities in New York.

Education

• PhD, History, Rutgers University
• BA, History, Yale University

Research Interests

• United States political history
• Policy history
• African American history
• 20th-century political ideologies and governance

Her work examines how political figures and institutions shaped modern US politics, with a focus on New York's political landscape and the Republican Party’s ideological shifts.

Recent Scholarship

• Explores Nelson Rockefeller’s role in moderate Republicanism and its decline
• Analyzes voter loyalty among Black New Yorkers during the Cold War era
• Investigates the intersection of wealth and political rhetoric in mid-20th century New York

Awards & Honors

• ACLS Fellowship (2019)
• Lincoln Excellence for Assistant Professors (LEAP) Scholar (2019)
• 2014 Dixon Ryan Fox Manuscript Prize

Teaching & Grants

• Teaches courses on American political history, African-American women’s history, and presidential politics
• Recipient of grants from the Ford Foundation, Rockefeller Archive Center, and New York State Archives