Walter T. Durham (October 7, 1924 – May 24, 2013) was an American historian. He was the Tennessee State Historian from 2002 to 2013, and the author of 24 books of local history.
Walter T. Durham | |
---|---|
Born | Gallatin, Tennessee, U.S. | October 7, 1924
Died | May 24, 2013 | (aged 88)
Education | University of Wisconsin Vanderbilt University |
Occupation | Local historian |
Spouse | Anna Armstrong Coile |
Children | 4 |
Parent(s) | George Franklin Durham Celeste McAlister |
Durham was born on October 7, 1924, in Gallatin, Tennessee, to George Franklin Durham and Celeste McAlister.[1][2] His paternal grandfather, J. T. Durham, served as a member of the Tennessee Senate.[3] He served in the United States Army during World War II between 1943 and 1946.[1] He subsequently attended the University of Wisconsin, and he graduated from Vanderbilt University, where he earned bachelor of arts and master's degrees.[1][2]
Durham worked as a businessman in Gallatin.[1] He was the founding president of the Tennessee Heritage Alliance, later known as the Tennessee Preservation Trust.[1] He also served as the president of the Tennessee Historical Society, and as the chairman of the Tennessee Historical Commission.[1] In 2002, he was appointed as the Tennessee State Historian by Governor Don Sundquist.[1]
Durham was the author of 24 books of local history.[1] He wrote about the Antebellum era like Congressman Balie Peyton or the Rose Mont plantation; the American Civil War of 1861–1865 in Tennessee; and the post-bellum era like the forty-niners from Tennessee who took part in the California Gold Rush.
Durham married Anna Armstrong Coile, and they had four children.[1] They resided in Gallatin.[1]
Durham died on May 24, 2013, at 88.[1][3] His funeral was held at the First Methodist Church of Gallatin.[3] He was succeeded as the Tennessee State Historian by Carroll Van West.[4] Durham is the namesake of the Tennessee Historical Society's Walter Durham Award, given annually to scholars.[5] The Walter T. Durham Bridge was named in his honor in 2015.[2][6]