History Faculty Member Honored with Fellowship

Montgomery, Ala.—Huntingdon College assistant professor of history Dr. Marcus Witcher has been asked to serve as a fellow with the Manuel H. Johnson Center for Political Economy at Troy University. This is an honorary role in which Dr. Witcher will contribute on matters where his research coincides with the mission of the Johnson Center.

“We are excited that Dr. Witcher has become a fellow of the Manuel H. Johnson Center for Political Economy,” said Dr. Allen Mendenhall, associate dean and Grady Rosier Professor, Sorrell College of Business, and executive director of the Johnson Center. “He’s charismatic and brings historical perspectives to matters of economics and policy.  His knowledge and expertise will help us to improve lives throughout our great state.”

Dr. Witcher’s research specializations include 20^th century U.S. political, economic, and intellectual history. He is interested in the history of barriers to minority opportunity that local, state, and federal governments have erected. Specifically, Dr. Witcher has a forthcoming book, co-authored with Rachel Ferguson, titled Black Liberation Through the Marketplace: Hope, Heartbreak, and the Promise of America, which will be published in May 2022 with Emancipation Press. He has also published one article and is working on another (both with co-author Tanner Corley) that trace the history of barber licensure and its negative effects on black Americans looking for employment. The titles of the articles are: “Barber Licensing in Arkansas: For Public Health or Private Gain?” and “License to Exclude: Minority Barbers in Arkansas,” which is under review.

Dr. Witcher’s first book, “Getting Right with Reagan: The Struggle for True Conservatism 1980-2016,” was published by the University Press of Kansas in 2019. Dr. Witcher is also the co-editor of the three volume “Public Choice Analyses of Economic History” (2018, 2018, 2019), and is the co-editor of “Conversations on Conservatism: Speeches from the Philadelphia Society” (2021). Dr. Witcher joined the Huntingdon faculty in 2020. He earned his Ph.D. in history at the University of Alabama; his Bachelor of Arts in history at the University of Central Arkansas, and his master’s degree in history at the University of Alabama.

“It is an honor to be asked to be a fellow with the Johnson Center,” said Dr. Witcher. “I am thrilled to have this opportunity and look forward to working with them to promote individual liberty for all Alabamians.”

“When a faculty member has the opportunity to gain new perspectives, the result is a win for both the faculty member and his or her students,” said Dr. Tom Perrin, senior vice president for academic affairs and dean of faculty at Huntingdon College. “Dr. Witcher has only been with Huntingdon for a short time and has already made outstanding contributions to the intellectual lives of Huntingdon students and to our academic offerings as a whole. Last week he co-presented for a 9/11 remembrance and offered a Saturday seminar for history students on Toleration and the Free Society. He understands that learning happens every moment, rather than just in the classroom, and he has built exciting new ways to offer knowledge both inside and outside his classes.”

Huntingdon College, founded in 1854, continues a legacy of faith, wisdom, and service through a liberal arts academic tradition grounded in the Judeo-Christian heritage of the United Methodist Church.

###