History & Political Science

Dr. William Wantland
bwantland@mvnu.edu
(740) 392-6868 Ext. 3704
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Dr. Bill Wantland is a Professor of History and currently serves as the Chairperson of the Department of History and Political Science.

He was born in Mount Vernon, Ohio and earned his B.A. from MVNU. Later, he was awarded the M.A. and Ph.D. from Miami (Ohio) University. He taught for nine years at Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, Idaho and since 2000, has taught at MVNU.

Dr. Wantland's courses include: US History to 1865 US History since 1865 Colonial America Civil War and Reconstruction Seminar in Historical Research Modern America Special Topics: American Popular Culture, The 1960s, The Gilded Age, 1865-1900 The Discipleship of the Christian Mind. He has also served as a facilitator for the Honors Program.

Dr. Wantland's primary research interests are in the Civil War, 19th c. American culture and politics, and the institution of slavery. He has presented his research at a number of historical conferences and his most recent publication was a biographical contribution on Stanley Matthews for the Yale Dictionary of American Legal Biography. Dr. Wantland also enjoys presenting his research to local community organizations and sharing his passion for history in the public schools.

He lives in Howard, Ohio with his wife Kathy. They have a daughter, Heather, who attends Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky. In his spare time, he enjoys reading history and novels, walking on the Kokosing Gap Trail, and visiting historical sites. He especially enjoys historical homes and battle reenactments.

Dr. Wantland enjoys the comfort he finds in Matthew 11:28-30: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden light.