I was born and raised in Philadelphia and developed an interest in the Civil War when I was about 11 or 12 years old.  I went off to college and left behind my interest in history and it was not reignited until I returned to Philadelphia about 25 years later.  In between, I continued my education and earned a Ph.D. in Zoology and became a full-time faculty member, then a department head, then a dean, then a chief academic officer, and finally a college president.  I served in that capacity for 17 years before retiring in 2017. While I miss the ability to make a difference in people’s lives, I enjoy being in control of my time (actually I share that responsibility with my wife!).

After we retired we left Southern Maryland and settled in Fairfield, Pennsylvania, just west of Gettysburg. Some potential health issues are causing us to move to a one-story home in Fayetteville, Pennsylvania (Penn National Community), just east of Chambersburg.

I spend a lot of time writing about the Civil War.  Much of my early writings were about the Gettysburg Campaign.  I also wrote two brigade-level histories to honor the units/men who hailed from my new homes.  Finally, I developed an interest in telling the history of the Eastern Theater of the Civil War in maps.  Six books have been published (First Bull Run, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, Bristoe Station/Mine Run, and the Wilderness).  My Maps of the Cavalry in the Gettysburg should be out in March, 2020.  I have completed Spotsylvania through Cold Harbor and am half-way through the Petersburg/Appomattox Campaigns). That means all I have left are: The Seven Days, Second Bull Run, Chancellorsville, and the two Shenandoah Valley Campaigns (1862 and 1864). I am also co-author on a Maps of the Shiloh Campaign volume.

Oh, I am also a Gettysburg Licensed Town Guide and an Antietam Battlefield Guide. I volunteer at the Antietam Battlefield Visitor Center every Wednesday morning and am a “Battlefield Ambassador.” I also teach an on-line Environmental Biology class every semester for Montgomery County Community College.

I am married to the love of my life, Linda, and have two of my own children and have inherited two of hers.  We also have five grandchildren among us.

I am blessed.

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