Lawrence S. Wittner: Scholar, Writer, Activist

Lawrence S. Wittner is an award-winning American historian, writer, and activist for peace and social justice.

He attended Columbia College, the University of Wisconsin, and Columbia University, where he received his Ph.D. in History. Thereafter, he taught at Hampton Institute, at Vassar College, and—under the Fulbright program—at Japanese universities. In 1974, he began teaching at the State University of New York/Albany, where he rose to the rank of Professor of History before his retirement in 2010.

Professor Wittner is the author or editor of thirteen books and the writer of over 250 published articles and book reviews, mostly on issues of peace, war, and international relations. He is also a former editor of Peace & Change, a journal of peace research. His scholarship was honored with prizes from the Peace History Society and from the Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations. In addition, he has received the New York State/United University Professions Excellence Award for scholarship, teaching, and service and the Peace History Society's Lifetime Achievement Award.

A sought-after speaker, Professor Wittner has given lectures in seventeen nations. This includes talks at the Norwegian Nobel Institute, at the United Nations, and on dozens of college and university campuses. In addition, he is interviewed occasionally on radio and television programs. He also has written numerous Op-Ed pieces that have appeared in newspapers and on-line publications.

For over a half century, Professor Wittner has participated in the racial equality, labor, and peace movements. He was an early civil rights and anti-apartheid activist and has served for decades as an elected leader of United University Professions (the SUNY faculty-professional staff union affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers). Numerous organizations have presented awards to him for his activism. Currently, he is a national board member of Peace Action and the executive secretary of the Albany County Central Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO. On occasion, he performs vocally and on the banjo with the Solidarity Singers.

Recent Articles on the Web by Lawrence Wittner

At Universities, Too, the Rich Grow Richer

May 16, 2013

According to recent surveys, 35 private university presidents and 4 public university presidents topped $1 million in income during the 2011-2012 fiscal year. Meanwhile, the vast majority of university faculty today are "contingents" -- either part-time or full-time with little to no job security -- and earn only a tiny fraction of these amounts. Even faculty with "regular" appointments are experiencing pay cuts and are rapidly falling far behind the income of their campus bosses.

At Universities, Too, the Rich Grow Richer

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That's Where the Money Goes

April 17, 2013

In 2012, world military expenditures totaled $1.75 trillion and, once again, the world's biggest military spender by far was the U.S. government, whose outlays for war and preparations for war amounted to $682 billion -- 39 percent of the global total. The United States spent more than four times as much on the military as China (the number two big spender) and more than seven times as much as Russia (which ranked third). Thus, although studies have found that the United States ranks 17th among nations in education, 26th in infant mortality, and 37th in overall health, there is no doubt that it ranks first when it comes to war.

That's Where the Money Goes

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