Samuel Hyde Jr.

A trusted source on the South

Over the years, Hyde –winner the Southeastern President's Award for Excellence in Research, has earned a reputation as a prominent source for his volumes of knowledge about region, gained through various research projects on the south and especially the Florida Parishes.When reporters need information, background or an interview on southeast Louisiana, Sam Hyde's name frequently pops up on their list of contacts.

The Associated Press, New York Times, History Channel, Discovery Channel and A&E Network are among the many media entities that have worked with Hyde on stories that cover his wide range of research that has stimulated interest in the region.

"I have always been impressed by the avalanche of new projects he regularly undertakes," said Department of History colleague and former student Keith M. Findley, "With Sam, the pace never seems to slacken."

The author of seven professionally refereed books, Hyde is frequently asked to comment on the culture of the region. This is based largely on one of his earliest works stemming from his doctoral dissertation research, Pistols and Politics: The Dilemma of Democracy in Louisiana's Florida Parishes, 1810-1899.

"Pistols and Politics provides an understanding of the forces that contributed to a collapse of the legal system amid the highest recorded rates of rural homicide in American history," said Hyde, a native of the region who earned his undergraduate degree from Tulane University, his master's from UNO and his doctorate from LSU. "It was a condition that retarded economic development in southeast Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries."

In addition to his teaching duties as a professor of history, Hyde is director of the Center for Southeast Louisiana Studies and holds the position of Leon Ford Chair for Regional Studies.

"Sam works in the broad field of southern history and, more specifically, in the history of the Florida Parishes of Louisiana before, during and after the Civil War," said LSU Professor Emeritus of History Paul Paskoff. "His writings and papers have helped to redefine both southern history and Louisiana history. The quality and volume of his publications put him in the first rank of historians who study the South."

Hyde's latest book, The Enigmatic South: Toward Civil War and Its Legacies, is due out this fall. He has also branched out into video to further his expression of historical research. He received an Emmy Award nomination and other awards for his environmental video American Crisis, American Shame: The National Consequences of Coastal Erosion. His conservation documentary, The Manchac Swamp: Manmade Disaster in Search of Resolution, aired statewide on the Louisiana Public Network and helped increase funding for conservation efforts led by the Lake Pontchartrain Basin. In addition, he has contributed his work as researcher, writer and narrator to the production of 15 episodes of the popular program The Florida Parishes Chronicles, produced by the Southeastern Channel.

His eagerness to share knowledge with the general population is one item that sets him apart from many other scholars, explained Findley.

"When someone produces an award-winning book, people take notice," Findley added.

"When that same person produces multiple books, articles, and award-winning documentaries and television programs, a much wider audience is drawn in. What makes him especially unique among academics is his many initiatives to make the products of his scholarly research accessible to a broad general audience."

And while he may be a popular figure with the public and media, his scholarly work is sound and well respected by his peers. In 2010, he was recognized by the Louisiana Legislature for his work that expanded understanding of the development of the Florida Parishes. Last year, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award for Historic Preservation and Scholarship from the Foundation for Historical Louisiana and was named a Fellow of the Gulf South Historical Association. He is asked to review scores of books and manuscripts being considered for publication and serves as editor of the journal Southeast Louisiana Review and guest editor of the Florida Historical Quarterly.

Research is a major focus of Hyde's academic life, but he is no less an effective and sought-after teacher. He is one of only a handful of faculty members who have been honored with a President's Award for Excellence two times having won the award for teaching in 2001.

"Even with all that he does, Sam Hyde never neglects to share with his students his talents and skills as a researcher and historian. He always encourages his students to continue their development, to reach for the next plateau," said Findley.