Dr William H. Flayhart III, professor emeritus at DSU, has been presented the 2009 C. Bradford Mitchell Award for his research and publication of The American Line 1871-1902.

 

The award was presented recently by the Steamship Historical Society of America during an event in Chester, Pa. In praise of the recipient, Barry Eager, the organization’s Awards Committee chairman, noted that in Dr. Flayhart’s authorship of The American Line, he has set “an example of the highest scholarship in the field of maritime history.”

 

The book details the history of the American Line, a transatlantic steamship service that operated from Philadelphia and New York to European ports. The steamship’s service history had been untold until Dr. Flayhart’s research and scholarship on the subject – which produced a definitive historical account within the annals of engine-powered vessels history.

 

Dr. Flayhart taught history at Delaware State University for 35 years until his retirement in 2005. Shortly afterward he was given the title of professor emeritus at the institution.