Peter S. Carmichael

{{Short description|American historian (1966–2024)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox person | honorific_prefix = | name = Peter S. Carmichael | honorific_suffix = | image =  | alt = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date|1966|2|23}} | birth_place = | baptised = | disappeared_date = | disappeared_place = | disappeared_status = | death_date = {{death date and age|2024|7|21|1966|2|23}} | death_place = | death_cause = | body_discovered = | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates =  | monuments = | other_names = | citizenship = | education = | alma_mater = [[Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis]]<br/>[[The Pennsylvania State University]] | occupation = Robert C. Fluhrer Professor of Civil War Studies | years_active = | era = | employer = Gettysburg College | organization = Civil War Institute | known_for = | notable_works = | style = | height =  | television = | title = | term = | predecessor = [[Gabor Boritt]] | successor = | party = | movement = | opponents = | boards = | criminal_charge =  | criminal_penalty = | criminal_status = | spouse = | partner =  | children = | parents = | relatives = | callsign = | awards = | module = | module2 = | module3 = | module4 = | module5 = | module6 = | signature = | signature_alt = | signature_size = | website = | footnotes = }}

'''Peter S. Carmichael''' (February 23, 1966 – July 21, 2024) was an American historian at [[Gettysburg College]] who served as Robert C. Fluhrer Professor of Civil War Studies and Director of the [[Civil War Institute at Gettysburg College]]. His research and teaching focused on the [[American Civil War]], the [[American South]] and [[public history]].<ref name="Archived copy">{{Cite web |url=https://www.gettysburg.edu/cwi/about/employee_detail.dot?empId=15712978720013304&crumbTitle=Peter%20S.%20Carmichael |title=Civil War Institute at Gettysburg College - Peter S. Carmichael |access-date=2016-12-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190111054921/https://www.gettysburg.edu/cwi/about/employee_detail.dot?empId=15712978720013304&crumbTitle=Peter%20S.%20Carmichael |archive-date=2019-01-11 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Background== Carmichael received his B.A. from [[Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis]] in 1988 and completed his graduate work under Gary Gallagher at [[The Pennsylvania State University]], where he received his PhD in 1996.<ref name="Archived copy"/>

==Career== [[File:Gettysburg College sign.jpg|alt=Sign for Gettysburg College with campus buildings in the background|thumb|Gettysburg College, where Carmichael taught from 2010 until 2024]] Carmichael began his academic career at [[Western Carolina University]] in 1997. He was the first Scholar-in-Residence at [[Gettysburg National Military Park]] in 1999. He went on to teach at [[The University of North Carolina at Greensboro]] and [[West Virginia University]] before coming to [[Gettysburg College]] as Robert C. Fluhrer Professor of Civil War Studies and Director of the [[Civil War Institute at Gettysburg College]] in 2010.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.c-span.org/person/?84996/PeterSCarmichael|title=Peter S. Carmichael | C-SPAN.org|website=c-span.org|accessdate=30 June 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.stratfordhall.org/events/reading-robert-e-lee-with-peter-carmichael/ |title=Reading Robert E. Lee with Peter Carmichael |website=stratfordhall.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200104124353/http://www.stratfordhall.org/events/reading-robert-e-lee-with-peter-carmichael/ |archive-date=2020-01-04}}</ref>

When he took charge of the Civil War Institute, Carmichael sought to create more intimate environments during the institute's annual summer conference, attended by over 200 people each year, to allow scholars to work with the public in smaller settings.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Baker |first=Tamela |date=3 September 2010 |title=Peter Carmichael, Director of the Civil War Institute |url=https://www.historynet.com/peter-carmichael-director-of-the-civil-war-institute |access-date=July 22, 2024 |website=historynet.com}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=OAH Distinguished Lecturer Profile | OAH |url=https://www.oah.org/lectures/lecturers/view/1516 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150417173242/http://www.oah.org/lectures/lecturers/view/1516 |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 17, 2015 |accessdate=30 June 2023 |website=oah.org}}</ref>

Carmichael also served on the board of directors and the Historians' Council of the Gettysburg Foundation, the non-profit partner of [[Gettysburg National Military Park]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gettysburgfoundation.org/103/board-of-directors |title=Visit The Gettysburg Battlefield {{!}} Board of Directors |website=gettysburgfoundation.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110320123851/http://www.gettysburgfoundation.org/103/board-of-directors |archive-date=2011-03-20}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gettysburgfoundation.org/145/historian-s-council |title=Visit The Gettysburg Battlefield {{!}} Historians' Council |website=gettysburgfoundation.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130507090121/http://www.gettysburgfoundation.org/145/historian-s-council |archive-date=2013-05-07}}</ref> He was reappointed a Distinguished Lecturer for the Organization of American Historians for 2017–2018.<ref name=":0"/>

Carmichael was co-editor of the Civil War America series from [[The University of North Carolina Press]].<ref name=":0"/>

==Personal life and death== Carmichael and his wife Beth had twin daughters, Isabel and Cameron.<ref>{{cite web|last=Luskey|first=Brian P.|url=https://www.historians.org/perspectives-article/peter-s-carmichael-1966-2024/|title=Peter S. Carmichael (1966–2024)|publisher=[[American Historical Association]]|date=November 7, 2024|access-date=October 26, 2025}}</ref> He was a fan of the [[Indianapolis Colts]], and attended their first [[NFL preseason|preseason]] game following their [[Baltimore Colts relocation to Indianapolis|relocation from Baltimore]] in 1984.<ref>{{cite news|last=Hunsinger Benbow|first=Dana|url=https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/2019/01/09/controversy-and-mystique-capt-andrew-luck-twitter-account/2509389002/|title=The controversy and mystique of the Capt. Andrew Luck Twitter account|newspaper=[[The Indianapolis Star]]|date=January 9, 2019|access-date=August 23, 2025}}</ref>

Carmichael died on July 21, 2024, from complications due to respiratory illness, at the age of 58.<ref>{{Cite web |last=DiFonzo |first=Vincent |date=2024-07-21 |title=College Announces Death of Professor Peter Carmichael |url=https://gettysburgian.com/2024/07/college-announces-death-of-professor-peter-carmichael/ |access-date=2024-07-22 |website=The Gettysburgian. |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Bibliography== *''The Purcell, Crenshaw & Letcher Artillery''. Lynchburg: H. E. Howard, Inc., 1991. *''Lee's Young Artillerist: William R.J. Pegram''. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 1995. *''Audacity Personified: The Generalship of Robert E. Lee'' (editor). Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 2004. *''The Last Generation: Young Virginians in Peace, War, and Reunion''. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 2009. *''The War for the Common Soldier: How Men Thought, Fought, and Survived in Civil War Armies''. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 2018.

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20190111054921/https://www.gettysburg.edu/cwi/about/employee_detail.dot?empId=15712978720013304&crumbTitle=Peter%20S.%20Carmichael Carmichael at the Civil War Institute] *{{C-SPAN|84996}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Carmichael, Peter S.}} [[Category:1966 births]] [[Category:2024 deaths]] [[Category:Gettysburg College faculty]] [[Category:Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis alumni]] [[Category:Pennsylvania State University alumni]] [[Category:21st-century American historians]] [[Category:21st-century American male writers]] [[Category:20th-century American historians]] [[Category:20th-century American male writers]] [[Category:Historians of the American Civil War]] [[Category:American male non-fiction writers]]