Dr. Thomas Cryer

Biography

Thomas Cryer is a dedicated historian specializing in Twentieth-Century U.S. History. His academic research focuses on the intersecting histories of education, ideas, memory, and race, particularly how these elements shape historical narratives and political agendas. He has researched the role of activist-intellectuals in transforming American universities, advocating for social change and reconfiguring academic disciplines. His notable AHRC-funded PhD project centered on the intellectual biography of John Hope Franklin, a pre-eminent historian and activist whose work focused on African American history. Cryer's publications analyze the complexities of mid-twentieth-century racial liberalism and the contestations surrounding Black history. He has received accolades for his contributions to the field, including the Historians of the Twentieth-Century United States Early Career Article Prize and the Arthur Miller Institute Article Prize. In his teaching, he emphasizes the historical context from 1863 to the present and guides students through diverse topics such as Cultural Wars and Racial Capitalism. Cryer is actively involved in research initiatives at the Oxford Centre for Research into United States History (OxCRUSH).

Research Interests