Vacant Chairs
Updating lists of those who taught history at the Academy since 1955 yielded, alas, reports of DFHers who have “gone west,” now “missing from the mess table.” For those who were colleagues and students of these officers and historians, here are some links to obituaries. This is, of course, a partial list that will be regularly updated.
Robert B. Adair (1938-2007, DFH 1967-70). Army artillery officer. “A career that started in the enlisted ranks, saw two tours in Vietnam, three tours in Europe and several command billets” including the 17th Field Artillery Brigade, not to mention Pentagon tours. Retired as a Colonel and helped start MPRI and taught at Wor-Wic Community College. (scroll down this page for More)
James Barnhill (1919-2008, DFH 1963-1964). He served his country in three wars: WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. In addition to teaching at DFH, he taught at Duke and Clemson.
Harry R. Borowski (1942-2014, DFH 1972-81, 1981-88). “Joined the History Department faculty at the U. S. Air Force Academy, eventually becoming a full professor and the acting head of the department prior to his retirement in 1988.”
Josephus “Joe” Allan Bowman (1915-2006, Department of Military History and Geography 1956-57). “Part of the 8th Air Force Staff in London during WWII and went on to be the Assistant Professor of Social Sciences at West Point and First Professor of Geography at the Air Force Academy.”
Donald D. Braden (1910-2008, DFH 1955-60).
Donald M. Clelland (DFH 1959-1962) Prior to enlisting in the Air Force, Lt Col (retired) Clelland served three years in the Marine Corps. At the Academy he served as a DFH instructor, Air Officer Commanding, and Special Assistant to the Superintendent.
Edward “Mac” Coffman (1929-2020, DVP 1982-1983), professor of history, University of Wisconsin.
William M. Crabbe, Jr. (1925-2010, DFH 1959-63). Citadel ’50, former Commandant of Cadets at his alma mater, later President of Oak Ridge Military Academy; video tribute.
Earl Richard “Dick” Downes (1947-2024, DFH 1978-1979, 1983-1986). For 23 years, he specialized in Latin America security issues as a U.S. Air Force public affairs officer, military educator, and politico-military affairs officer.
George V. Fagan (1917-2012, DFH 1955-57, Permanent Professor). Original faculty member of USAFA. “His development of the Library was instrumental in the Academy’s obtaining accreditation before the graduation of its first class in 1959.”
Thomas A. Fabyanic (1934-2021, DFH 1966-69). “A natural-born teacher who loved imparting his knowledge and wisdom of history, religion, and antique cars . . . tour guide throughout the sites of Washington, DC, during which it was best to pay attention as there was always a quiz given at the end!”
Phillip M. Flammer (1928-1999, DFH 1958-61, 63-68). “A pilot and, later, historian, most notably working in Saigon in 1968-69 documenting the Vietnam War . . . Professor at the Air Force Academy . . . professor of History at Brigham Young University . . . professor of the year in 1976. Above all Phillip’s greatest joy was teaching, both the gospel and academics”; another tribute.
Charles Frazee (1932-2021, DVP 1993-94). Expertise was Byzantine, East European and Christian church history; directed Cal State Fullerton’s Russian and East European Studies Program in the 1970s.
John L. Frisbee (1916-2000, DFH 1955-57). “He taught at the U.S. Military Academy and was the first head of the history department and acting head of the political science department at the U.S. Air Force Academy.”
Robert E. Hays, Jr. (1927-2020, DFH 1963-65). WW2 Navy Medical Corpsman and postwar Naval reservist. After USAF commissioning in 1950, served in planning, administration, and teaching, including a tour in Vietnam. After retirement, worked for the Continuing Education Bureau of the Texas government.
Watt Goodwin Hill, Jr. (1924-2024, DFH 1965-1969) served in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. After retiring from the AF, he continued to teach high school history in Colorado Springs.
Harold L. Hitchens (1915-2000, DFH 1955-58). After serving as a flight instructor during WWII and flying 50 combat missions in the Korean War, Hitchens became a founding member of the faculty at the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1955, serving until 1963 as faculty secretary and associate professor in history. He also served in Vietnam as a battle staff controller. In retirement, he was a senior research associate at the University of Pittsburgh, where he also served as an aide to the chancellor and supervised research projects.
Alfred F. Hurley (1928-2013, DFH 1958-62, Permanent Professor, 1966-80). Enlisted in the USAF two days before the beginning of the Korean War, Master Navigator, seventy reconnaissance missions in Germany during the Cold War, after retirement, Chancellor of the University of North Texas System.
John W. Huston (1925-2021, DVP 1994-95). B-17 navigator in the ETO, USAF Reserve Major General, former chair of the USNA Department of History, and the Chief of Air Force History.
Oakah L. Jones Jr. (1930-2010, DFH 1960-63, 1964-73). USNA ’53. Specialties in Latin American and Southwestern history. Thirteen years at USAFA.
Timothy E. Kline (1942-2020, DFH 1973-77). Forward air controller (O-2), DFC, USAFA and NWC faculty, seminary, ordination, parishes, Cathedral Dean.
Peter B. Lane (1939-2021, DFH 1970-74). “Pete flew a total of 104 combat missions over North Vietnam . . . commendations, including the Silver Star.”
Craig A. McElroy (1947-2022; DFH 1979-82). Worked at Lockheed Martin as an engineer. He was also a retired Colonel of the United States Air Force.
Thomas F. McGann (1920-82, DVP 1978-79). Professor of history, University of Texas, visiting professor at Stanford, Columbia, NWC, and USAFA . . . Captain in the United States Naval Reserve (Naval Intelligence).
Wayne P. Magnusson (1960-2022, DFH 1998-2002, 2009-2010). A Latin America specialist, he retired from the AF in 2011 and became a JROTC Commander.
Donald K. Mangels (1929-2006, DFH 1966-70). At DIA . . . participated in the target selection for the Christmas bombing of Hanoi and Haiphong by B-52 bombers.
Russell W. Mank, Jr. (1940-2020, DFH 1968-73, 1976-83), “made a quadriplegic when struck by a hit-and-run driver while he was jogging near his home in 1988. His courage and determination enabled him to overcome his injuries and fashion a new life for himself.”
Tony Mason (1932-2023, DFH 1969-1971) was the first RAF Exchange Officer in DFH.
Edwin Burns Mixon (1920-2010, DFH 1967-74). Major Mixon served in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. Buried in the Florida National Cemetery, Bushnell, Florida.
Silas R. Molyneaux (1916-2012, DFH 1955-60). “Became a member of the original group of officers that started the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. He taught history and political science.”
Nile B. Norton (1922-2001, DFH 1962-66). A “a true renaissance man – as comfortable discussing history as creating stained glass, writing, or building a cabin in the woods.”
Alan Osur (1941-2021, DFH 1967-72, 76-80, 2006-13). “His dream jobs were the years he spent as a history professor and rugby coach at the Air Force Academy.”
George A. Reed (d. 2004, DFH 1979-1983). A missileer after his commissioning in 1975, he taught in the Department; was military adviser to the office of the vice president on the Middle East and South Asia, arms control and nonproliferation, space, defense plans and policy; and chief of the Office of Defense Cooperation at the American Embassy in Brussels.
Jon Reynolds (1935-2022, DFH 1975-1979). He brought to the Academy his experiences flying the F-100 Super Sabre, the L-19 Bird Dog, and the F-105 Thunderchief, followed by seven years as a POW in North Vietnam. A video of BG Reynolds’s funeral service at Arlington National Cemetery, September 8, 2022, is found here.
Roger Marshall Rickey (1929-1994, DFH 1962-1967). The University of Wisconsin published his book Educational Reforms of Jules Ferry in France in 1949.
Wilbert H. “Wil” Ruenheck (1917-2008, DFH 1957-66). “a talented first baseman playing in the minor leagues for the St. Louis Cardinals . . . in the initial cadre of the United States Air Force Academy in the late 1950’s, serving as the head of the History Department . . . motivational speaker . . . entrepreneur in the stock market.”
John “Jack” Schlight (1926-2017, DFH 1958-60, 1962-73). “Left the Benedictine order in 1952 to join the Air Force . . . a navigator in the Korean War . . . historian and author in Vietnam . . . a professor at the newly established Air Force Academy.”
Arnold Schrier (1925-2016, DVP 1983-84), professor of history, University of Cincinnati.
Bryan Shaw (1945-2023, DFH 1979-1981 and 1984-1988) After a stint with the Peace Corps in Africa, he joined the U.S. Air Force where, over a remarkable 29-year career, he earned an M.A. from Duquesne University and a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin, both in African History. He went on to teach at the USAF Academy, the Air War College, and the National Defense University, and completed various other assignments for the Defense and State Departments.
Dennis Showalter (1942-2019, DVP 1991-93). Minnesota state spelling champion of 1954, military historian, Colorado College faculty, visiting prof at USAFA, USMA, MCU, and Norwich, past president of the Society for Military History.
William E. Simons (1927-2018, DFH 1958-62). “Taught history at the Air Force Academy and wrote three of the original Pentagon Papers, as a well as a book about education in the service academies.”
Laun C. Smith, Jr. (1929-1957, DFH). Taught at USAFA and El Paso Community College, and at the Sergeants Major Academy, Fort Bliss, Texas.
Victor D. Sutch (1921-2019, DFH 1958-60, 61-70), “spent the war years in Europe and Northern Africa flying transport planes . . . God was gracious to protect him and provide him with the wonderful experience of flying, along with the sheer terror of landing . . . was able to teach at the Air Force Academy”
Michael R. Terry (1948-2023, DFH 1983-1987, 2000-2012), a KC-135 pilot, he earned “a master’s degree in history from the University of North Dakota. Subsequently, he served a tour on the faculty of the Academy as a history instructor. Mike specialized in the study of airpower and its influence on civil and military conflicts. After he retired from the Air Force, Mike served another tour as a history instructor at the Academy.”
John M. Thompson (1926-2017, DVP 1981-82). “One of the founders and early builders of Indiana University’s internationally prominent Russian and East European Institute.”
Jill Rugenstein Trout (1946-1997, left DFH in 1989). Buried in Black Hills National Cemetery.
Malham Wakin (1931-2024). Although Brigadier General Wakin was not a DFHer, he was one of the first Permanent Professors at USAFA and was a great friend of DFH. For many years he was Permanent Professor of Philosophy and he also headed Political Science and Fine Arts. He led the Humanities Division for many years and was respected by members of DFH and cadets. Except for a tour in Vietnam, he taught at the Academy from 1959 to 1994 on active duty and continued until 2016 as an emeritus professor – 57 years of teaching at the Academy. The book he edited, War, Morality, and the Military Profession (first edition, 1979), was on the professional reading list of General and SECDEF James Mattis.
Bynum E. Weathers, Jr. (1924-2022, DFH 1964-68). WW2 B-29 crewman, PhD Denver, Maxwell, Puerto Rico, USAFA faculty . . . musician and composer.
Below is the most complete list we have of all those Missing from the Mess with whatever information we have. If you have any corrections or more information on any of these former DFHers, please send to Don Bishop (donbishop99@hotmail.com), Brenda Roth (brerot@gmail.com) and Larry Skogen (lcskogen@gmail.com).
USAFA Department of History Alumni Association 