Larry Schweikart
Profile
Prior to coming to academics, Dr. Schweikart was a rock drummer for several bands, one of which reached the big-time concert level as the opening act for Steppenwolf, the James Gang, Mother's Finest, and other groups. The group's single, "Didn't Want to Have to Say Goodbye to You," was played on Los Angeles radio stations and was favorably reviewed by "Billboard," "Cashbox," and "Record World." Dr. Schweikart quit the road in 1976, tired of starving and driving. That year, he returned to Arizona State University to obtain a teaching certificate, and in the process took a history class that changed his life. From that moment on, he wanted to be a history professor (even though he still played drums at night all the way through grad school).
In 1977, Dr. Schweikart entered the Arizona State history program to obtain a master's degree, and in the process wrote a national prize-winning article on Peary's quest for the North Pole. A year later, he won, in unprecedented fashion, the same prize again! By that time, Dr. Schweikart was ready for a Ph.D. program, and attended the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he completed all exams in one year, graduating with distinction two years later after completing his dissertation, "Banking in the American South." During his M.A. and Ph.D. work, he was blessed to be given writing assignments that led to two books: A History of Banking in Arizona (1982) and Trident (1984), a book Dr. Schweikart co-authored with political science professor Doug Dalgleish, which was a history/policy study of the Trident submarine program. His dissertation became his fourth book, published shortly after his graduation.
Dr. Schweikart worked for one year in the University of Wisconsin system, then came to UD, quickly receiving promotions to associate, then full professor. He has continued to write, producing some 15-20 books and more than 50 articles. He also still plays drums for his church, dubbing it "the flock that rocks."
The Faculty Perspective
UD has been an exceptional employer. I have received first-rate support, encouragement, and excellent teaching conditions. My future plans include winning a Pulitzer and writing a history of media bias in the United States.
Degrees
- Ph.D., University of California, Santa Barbara, 1984
Research Interests
- American business/economic/financial history
- American political history
- American and world military history
- History of technology and music
- Christian history
Selected Publications
Seven Events that Made America America, August 2010
American Entrepreneur, 2009
48 Liberal Lies About American History (That You Probably Learned in School), 2008
America's Victories: Why the U.S. Wins Wars and Will Win the War on Terror, 2006
(With Michael Allen) A Patriot's History of the United States, 2004
The Entrepreneurial Adventure: A History of Business in the United States (Harcourt: 2000)
(with Bradley Birzer) The American West (John Wiley, 2003)
(with Lynne Doti) Banking in the American West from the Gold Rush to Deregulation (Oklahoma, 1991)