Peter J. Kastor, PhD Distinguished Faculty Award
Samuel K. Eddy Endowed Professor 
Associate Vice Dean of Research 
Professor of History and American Studies 
Department of History   
Arts & Sciences

Watch the interview: https://vimeo.com/1138654833?fl=pl&fe=sh

Learn more about Founders Day: https://alumni.washu.edu/news-awards/university-awards/founders-day/

Peter Kastor is an esteemed historian, educator, and nationally recognized expert in politics, policymaking, and culture in the United States. As the author or editor of eight books and numerous articles on American history, his scholarship on the American presidency and early U.S. history has significantly shaped both scholarly and public understanding of the country’s past and how to use those lessons to move forward.

He has reimagined the interpretation of major historical events such as the Louisiana Purchase and the Lewis and Clark expedition. Kastor’s digital project Creating a Federal Government uses technology to explore and bring to life the origin story of the U.S. government. Such creative use of technology to explain history in accessible ways has captured the interest of national audiences through various media outlets. 

A committed public scholar, Kastor has written about politics and history in places like The Washington Post, HuffPost, and Fortune. Kastor has also recorded two courses for C-SPAN’s Lectures in History series.  He has conducted educational programming and professional development for the St. Louis Public Schools, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and the Air War College.  Earlier this semester he taught federal judges about how to work with difficult historical evidence.

Meanwhile, Kastor has made valuable contributions to WashU for more than 25 years. Known for his engaging teaching and dedicated mentorship, he has shaped the careers of countless students and has developed many highly sought courses, including “1984: One Weird Year,” recognized for its innovative use of politics, movies, music, and books to examine that critical year in U.S. history.

Having previously chaired the Department of History, he now supports the research mission of Arts & Sciences in the humanities, humanistic social sciences, and creative practice as the school’s inaugural associate vice dean of research. Under his leadership, fellowship and grant submissions from humanities faculty have markedly increased. He also leads the university’s Naming Review Board, which examines issues around institutional names to ensure that formally named spaces, professorships, and scholarships align with the university’s values. 

Beyond the classroom, Kastor contributes his expertise to major St. Louis cultural institutions, including the Missouri Historical Society, where he is chair of the board of trustees. He has also volunteered his time with the Saint Louis Art Museum and the St. Louis Mercantile Library, where he previously served as board vice chair. 

Kastor’s scholarly talents have been formally recognized on numerous occasions. He has received grants and fellowships from institutions including the American Council of Learned Societies, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscripts Library at Yale, and the Newberry Library in Chicago. Kastor recently received a grant from the Taylor Geospatial Institute for his ongoing research in historic research analyzing and visualizing historic borders and borderlands in North America. His teaching has been recognized with the David Hadas Teaching Award and the Arts & Sciences’ Freshman Advisor of the Year at WashU and by the Emerson Excellence in Teaching Award, which recognizes educators throughout the St. Louis Region. 

Kastor earned his bachelor’s degree in history from Franklin & Marshall College and his master’s degree and doctorate in history from the University of Virginia.  

Special thanks to:
Stephanie Kirk, PhD
Director of the Center for the Humanities
Professor of Spanish, Comparative Literature, and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Arts & Sciences