William Freeman Galpin, Ph.D.

Professor Galpin was born in Ishpeming, Michigan,

the son of the Rev. and Mrs. William Galpin. He

received a B.A. degree from Northwestern

University in 1913, an M.A. degree in history from

Northwestern in 1914, and a Ph.D. from the

University of Pennsylvania in 1917. He also was a

Yale Fellow from 1914 to 1915 and a Harrison

Fellow in 1926.

After teaching at several universities, he served as

Chair of the history department at Syracuse

University from 1948 to 1951, retiring from SU in

1956. Dr. Galpin was widely known as an author

and historian. In 1927, he received the coveted

Herbert Baxter Adams award to the American Historical Society. He authored books on the history of Syracuse University and Upstate New York.

Professor Galpin was active in various professional organizations. He also served as a major in the U.S. Army from 1918 to 1919. An active member of the Episcopal Church, he served there in various leadership roles. He and his wife, Gladys, had two daughters and four grandchildren. He passed away in 1963.