In Memoriam: Andrew R. L. “Drew” Cayton

Drew Cayton, long-time supporter of The Filson Historical Society, died on December 17, 2015, after a seven-month illness. An extraordinary scholar, superb teacher, and exemplary colleague, Drew gave freely of his time to numerous historical organizations and to the wider public. A self-defined regionalist, he was a founding member of the editorial board of Ohio Valley History and served on it until his death.

A native of the Ohio River Valley, Drew Cayton attended University of Virginia (BA) and Brown University (MA, PhD), before returning to the Midwest. He taught at Ball State for eight years, then moved to Miami University in 1990, where he spent the majority of his career, advancing eventually to University Distinguished Professor (2000). Named the Warner Woodring Professor of Early American History at The Ohio State University in 2015, he had just taken up his new duties at the time of his death.

Drew’s scholarship pursued a variety of topics, approaches and geographies. He began with a focus on Midwestern history. Placing the region’s early history into western and “frontier” frameworks, he produced monographs including The Frontier Republic: Ideology and Conflict in the Ohio Country, 1780-1825 (1986); Frontier Indiana (1996); and (co-authored with Peter Onuf) The Midwest and the Nation: Rethinking the History of an American Region (1990). His bicentennial text Ohio: The History of a People (2002), was accompanied by radio spots on the state’s history that played throughout the year. He co-edited a clutch of essay collections, including (with Fredrika Teute), the seminal Contact Points: American Frontiers from the Mohawk Valley to the Mississippi, 1750-1830 (1998). He co-edited the massive The American Midwest: An Interpretive Encyclopedia (2007).

A second phase of his scholarship considered questions of empire. With coauthor Fred Anderson he made a major entrée into the diplomatic and imperial history of the United States in The Dominion of War (2005). The work won high praise, named a book of the year by both The Washington Post and The Times Literary Supplement. The importance of that volume and its impact earned them the contract to co-author a volume in Oxford’s prestigious History of the United States, a volume that was in progress at the time of Drew’s death.

His most recent book, Love in the Time of Revolution: Transatlantic Literary Radicalism and Historical Change, 1793-1818 (2013), explores different issues, especially of emotion, gender relations, and literature. Through it he made a remarkable intervention into Wollstonecraft studies and the transatlantic world during a time of the radical rethinking of the relations between men and women.

While pursuing this varied and successful career as a scholar, Drew excelled as a teacher as well. Over 25 years at Miami University, he supervised 30 MA and 5 PhD students, as well as 15 History Honors theses. His riveting lectures—delivered to some 9,000 students—modeled historical inquiry and captivated countless students. Winner of multiple teaching awards, Drew was beloved by students and university alums.

He performed a vast amount of service not only to the profession but also by speaking to the public. He knew all the backroads of his native Midwest, as he crisscrossed it by car to address historical societies, high school teachers, and state legislators. A generous colleague, he was an engaging speaker with a passion for history and a sincere interest in all the people he encountered.

He leaves behind his wife of forty years, historian Mary Kupiec Cayton; daughters Elizabeth Cayton (Victor) Broccoli and Hannah Cayton; and grandson Elliott.

Carla Gardina Pestana
Professor and Joyce Appleby Endowed Chair, UCLA

Go beyond the legend with the largest collection of Viking artifacts ever displayed in North America Vikings: Beyond the Legend

Experience a myth-busting exhibition that has captivated millions of people around the world. Explore the rich, often-misunderstood Viking culture like never before with the largest collection of Viking artifacts, some never before seen outside of Scandinavia.

Over 500 artifacts unearth the facts behind the legends of the Vikings. Jewelry, silverware, pottery, funeral caskets, swords, spears, coins, game pieces, clothing, cookware...