Historian. He studied at Williams College, the University of Berlin, and the University of Chicago before earning his PhD in 1908 from the University of Illinois, where he continued as a professor until 1920. During his time there, he became the founder of the Mississippi Valley Historical Association, was the editor of a number of history periodicals, and was director of the Illinois Historical Survey, Illinois University. He left his position to accept a professorship at the University of Minnesota. He was recognized as a prominent historian both in the United States and in Europe and contributed to numerous magazines in England and the United States. In 1917 he was awarded the Loubat Prize for the best historical work published in the United States during the preceding five years for his book, The Mississippi Valley in British politics: a study of the trade, land speculation, and experiments in imperialism culminating in the American Revolution. In 1923, he left for Europe where he remained until his death. During those years, he presented the Raleigh lecture on history before the British Academy in 1925 and in 1926 gained the distinction of delivering the Creighton lecture, which until that time had been delivered exclusively by British subjects. He still had a number of major works in progress when he died on the Italian Riviera. The Alvord Collection containing many works was donated to the University of Missouri Columbia a number of years after his death. (bio by: KQB)  Family links:  Spouse:  Idress Head Alvord (1873 – 1962)* *Calculated relationship