Robert Marshall Utley (October 31, 1929 – June 7, 2022) was an American author and historian who wrote sixteen books on the history of the American West. He was a chief historian for the National Park Service. Much of his writing deals with the United States Army in the West, especially in its confrontations with the Indian tribes. He wrote: The Western History Association annually gives out the Robert M. Utley Book Award for the best book published on the military history of the frontier and western North America.

Early life and education

Utley was born on October 31, 1929, in Bauxite, Arkansas. During his childhood, his parents, Don Williams Utley and Valeria Haney, moved him to northwestern Indiana, where he attended Dayton High School in Dayton, Indiana. He attended nearby Purdue University, receiving a Bachelor of Science in history. He then attended Indiana University Bloomington for graduate school, receiving a Master of Arts in history in 1952. Following graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1952 and was commissioned a 2nd lieutenant in May 1954. After army service, he joined the National Park Service. He also served in the Army Reserves, archiving the rank of captain. In 1997 he was awarded the Samuel Eliot Morison Prize for lifetime achievement given by the Society for Military History.

Selected bibliography