Dr. James M. Johnson ’69, an internationally recognized expert on the War for Independence in the Hudson River Valley, has been appointed the first holder of the Dr. Frank T. Bumpus Chair. Dr. Frank T. Bumpus is a long-serving member of the advisory board of the Hudson River Valley Institute (HRVI) at Marist College, and has established an endowed chair that will promote the greater understanding of the rich history, culture, and identity of New York’s Hudson River Valley.
Dr. Johnson graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point and holds M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in history from Duke University and a M.A. in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College. A retired Colonel in the United States Army, his 30 years of service include active duty in Germany and Korea and at the Pentagon, as well as 15 years on the West Point faculty, serving as head of the military history program in his second tour. Author and editor of books and numerous scholarly and popular essays and articles on the War for Independence in the Hudson River Valley, he has been a member of the Marist faculty for the past thirteen years, teaching courses on the region and military history.
In 2002, Dr. Johnson co-founded HRVI and has served as its executive director ever since. As the longstanding Military Historian of the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area, he oversees the American Revolutionary interpretive theme. His leadership in preserving and promoting American history in the Valley extends to the Fort Montgomery State Historic Site, the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor at New Windsor Cantonment, and the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail, among many other projects.
"We are incredibly proud to have the Dr. Frank T. Bumpus Chair in Hudson River Valley History at Marist," said Dr. Thomas Wermuth, academic vice president and dean of faculty. “We thank Dr. Bumpus for his leadership in making this eminent position possible. Dr. Jim Johnson is a first-rate historian and incomparable advocate for the Hudson River Valley and his appointment sets the standard for future holders of the Bumpus Chair."
(Photo: Dr. Frank T. Bumpus, left, joined by Dr. James M. Johnson '69, the first holder of The Dr. Frank T. Bumpus Chair in Hudson River Valley History).