Walter A. McDougall

Walter A. McDougall is a Professor of History and Alloy-Ansin Professor of International Relations at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Arts & Sciences. He holds a PhD from the University of Chicago (1974), an MA from the same institution, and a BA from Amherst College. His research focuses on U.S., European, and Pacific Rim diplomatic history, with particular emphasis on the interplay between technology, politics, and foreign policy.

McDougall’s major works include a Pulitzer Prize-winning analysis of the Space Age (...the Heavens and the Earth, 1985), studies of American civil religion and foreign policy (The Tragedy of U.S. Foreign Policy, 2016), and a trilogy on American history from colonial times to the Cold War. His writing blends rigorous scholarship with accessible narrative, often challenging conventional historical perspectives.

He is Director of Research and Co-Director of the Center for the Study of America and the West at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. Though no longer accepting new PhD advisees, McDougall teaches courses on diplomatic history, international relations, and Western civilization. His office hours are held at College Hall 317D and Williams Hall 637.

Awards include the Pulitzer Prize for History and recognition for his contributions to interdisciplinary historical analysis. His work frequently intersects with contemporary policy debates, emphasizing historical context in understanding modern geopolitical challenges.