MORTON, LOUIS C. (1913– ), U.S. historian. Born in New York City, Morton received his M.A. from New York University in 1936 and his doctorate from Duke University in 1938 in the field of American colonial history. He taught at City College of New York from 1939 to 1941. He served in the U.S. Army (1942–46), and was deputy chief historian in the Office of the Chief of Military History, Washington, D.C. (1946–59). During that time, he also served as chief of the Pacific Section, responsible for the preparation of the 11-volume subseries on "The War in the Pacific," and was historical adviser for the post-World War II program. He served as consultant and lecturer at a number of military and civilian institutions, and from 1960 he was professor of history at Dartmouth College. In 1971–72 he served as provost. He was also president of the New England Historical Association (1968–69).

Morton's major scholarly interest was U.S. military history. Regarded as one of America's foremost experts on the history of World War II, he is best known for The Fall of the Philippines (1953); The War in the Pacific: Strategy and Command (1962); and Writings on World War II (1967). He was general editor of a 17-volume study, Wars and Military Institutions of the United States (1963).

Sources: Encyclopaedia Judaica. © 2007 The Gale Group. All Rights Reserved.

Louis C. Morton