Wendell Holmes Stephenson

Wendell Holmes Stephenson (March 13, 1899 – April 14, 1970) was an American professor of history. He edited historical journals. Duke University has a collection of his papers.

Early life and education Stephenson grew up in Cartersburg, Indiana and Plainfield, Indiana. Prior to attending college, he worked as a teacher in Clayton, Indiana and as the principal of the Plainfield High School.

Stephenson received a A.B. degree in 1923 and an A.M. degree in 1924, both form Indiana University. Stephenson went on to earn a PhD from University of Michigan in 1928, with a dissertation entitled The Political Career of General James H. Lane. In 1930, Stephenson combined his master's thesis (about James H. Lane's political career in Indiana) and his PhD dissertation (about Lane's career as a Free-Stater) with content about James Lane's senatorial tenure, resulting in the monograph The Political Career of General James H. Lane, which was published by the Kansas State Historical Society.