The Shepherd University Foundation is pleased to announce the establishment of the Dennis E. Frye Endowed Chair in Civil War Studies and Director of the Civil War Center.
This endowed fund was established by historian Dennis Frye, a member of Shepherd’s Class of 1979. During his time at Shepherd, Frye served as president of Shepherd’s chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, the international History honors society. He earned the honors of McMurran Scholar, Shepherd’s highest academic achievement, graduated summa cum laude, and was selected by faculty as Shepherd’s “Outstanding History Student.”
Frye’s passion for history persisted beyond graduation. He retired after 20 years as Chief Historian at the Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. He served as co-founder and first president of the Save Historic Antietam Foundation and as a co-founder and second president/CEO of today’s American Battlefield Trust. Frye has authored 11 books and over 130 articles. Additionally, he advised on the establishment and direction of Shepherd University’s Civil War Center more than three decades ago. Frye has remained a dedicated and valued supporter of the Civil War Center, funding student scholarships and donating his time through tours and lectures and continued advisement. This legacy will be carried on through the new endowed chair.
“History has offered me inestimable gifts,” Frye reflected. “Now is my moment to offer this gift to history.”
Dr. Jennifer M. Murray, Director of the Civil War Center and Assistant Professor of History, has been named the first Dennis E. Frye Endowed Chair in Civil War Studies. Dr. Murray is a Civil War historian specializing in military history. She is the author of On a Great Battlefield: The Making, Management, and Memory of Gettysburg National Military Park, 1933-2023 (2014; 2023) and co-editor of They Are Dead and Yet They Live: Civil War Memories in a Polarized America (2026). She is currently writing her third book, tentatively titled Meade at War: The Military Life of George Gordon Meade, a biography of the Union general who won the battle of Gettysburg. She received Shepherd University’s Faculty Excellence Award for the 2025-2026 year. In addition to her academic profile, Murray is active in the public history community.
Dennis Frye and SUF President Austin Slater sign the Dennis E. Frye Endowed Chair in Civil War Studies and Director of the Civil War Center agreement with SUF EVP Sherri Janelle
“It is an incredible honor to hold an endowed chair named for someone who has dedicated their life to the promotion and preservation—literally— of the Civil War with unprecedented energy, infectious passion, and admirable certitude,” said Murray. “Indeed, over the course of a distinguished four-decade professional career, no single person has done more to amplify the importance of Harpers Ferry and Antietam, two critical Civil War sites in Shepherd’s backyard, than Dennis Frye. This is a historic moment for the Civil War Center and our university. I look forward to continued collaborations with Dennis and for the opportunity to elevate the profile of the Civil War Center in service to a better understanding of our nation’s most transformative event.”
The Civil War Center serves as a unique platform to bring together a broad audience– Shepherd University students and faculty, community members, area teachers, public historians, academic scholars, and Civil War enthusiasts—to continue to learn and think critically about the Civil War and the ways in which that conflict shapes who we are as a nation and people today, some 160 years later. The Center sponsors lectures, seminars, and battlefield tours by leading academic authorities and public history experts. Importantly, the Civil War Center fosters opportunities for Shepherd students, including facilitating internships with area Civil War sites, while promoting student scholarship and engagement. The Chair will be a driving force behind the mission, outreach, and impact of the Center.
For more information on how to establish an endowed scholarship, program, or faculty excellence award through the Shepherd University Foundation, please contact the Shepherd University Foundation, P.O. Box 5000, Shepherdstown, WV, 25443-5000, 304-876-5397, or visit https://shepherduniversityfoundation.org.
