Dr. John C. McManus, assistant professor history at the University of Missouri-Rolla, recently received the W.E. and Peggy Wiggins Faculty Excellence Award. This is a new award in the UMR history department.

The award is funded by an endowment from Phelps County Circuit Court Judge John Wiggins, who graduated from UMR in 1970 with a bachelor of arts degree in history, says Dr. Larry Gragg, chair and professor of history at UMR.

McManus received a Ph.D. in history from the University of Tennessee. He began his career at UMR as an instructor in 2000 and was named assistant professor in 2003. He teaches courses on the Civil War, World War II, the Vietnam War, U.S. military history and the American combat experience in the 20th century.

During his tenure at UMR, McManus has earned excellent teaching evaluations and received two College of Arts and Sciences Excellence in Teaching Awards.

McManus has published two books on World War II The Deadly Brotherhood: The American Combat Soldier in World War II, published by Presidio Press in 1998, and Deadly Sky: The American Combat Airman in World War II, published by Presidio Press in 2000. He has written two additional books scheduled for publication this year.

This summer, McManus will serve as a historian for Stephen Ambrose Historical Tours in "D-Day to Berchtesgaden," a two-week commemorative 60-year anniversary program.