Kris White Returns as ECW’s Chief Historian

Kristopher D. White has been named to the post of chief historian for Emerging Civil War (ECW).

White, an ECW co-founder, also served as the organization’s founding chief historian. He returns to the position following the retirement of Cecily Nelson Zander, who served as ECW’s chief historian from November 2022 through this summer.

“Emerging Civil War would not exist without Kris,” said ECW Editor-in-Chief Chris Mackowski. “The field of Civil War history continues to change, and Kris is well-suited to help us navigate those challenges and keep our brand—and our community of historians—strong. He has a lot of face-forward talent as a historian, and we look forward to having that talent on the front lines for ECW.”

White is the Director of Education and Events at the American Battlefield Trust. He holds an M.A. in Military History from Norwich University and a B.A. in History from California University of Pennsylvania. He has served as a ranger-historian at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park. He has also served as a historian for the Penn-Trafford Recreation Board and has worked as a continuing education instructor for the Community College of Allegheny County. In 2008, he successfully passed the Licensed Battlefield Guide Exam at Gettysburg.

Co-creator of the Emerging Civil War Series published by Savas Beatie, White is an award-winning speaker and editor who has authored, co-authored, or edited more than two dozen books and numerous articles, covering a wide range of topics from the Seven Years War to the World Wars. A frequent fixture on battlefields around the world, he leads and coordinates tours and staff rides in the United States and Europe.

“Kris was also a pioneer in the video content movement that took when the pandemic shut down access to historic sites and conferences,” Mackowski said. “The resulting ‘Zoom Boom’ redefined the way the Civil War community engaged with history. Kris was on the leading edge of that technology.”

ECW’s chief historian oversees the quality control of the platform’s historical content, including blog content as well as content in ECW’s various publication projects, including the Emerging Civil War book series.

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Any views or opinions expressed by Kris as chief historian at Emerging Civil War are solely his views and opinions and do not reflect the opinions of the American Battlefield Trust.