James R. Reckner
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james.reckner@ttu.edu
University of Auckland
Military and Naval
http://www.vietnam.ttu.edu
http://www.imcdr.ttu.edu
Dr. Reckner, a retired naval officer and Vietnam veteran, received his Ph.D. from the University of Auckland, New Zealand. His publications include Teddy Roosevelt’s Great White Fleet (Naval Institute, 1988) and Water Tender Frederick T. Wilson on Asiatic Station, 1899-1901 (Kent State University Press, 2004. Additionally, he has published numerous articles dealing with the US Navy during the era of Theodore Roosevelt.
Reckner, who joined faculty in September 1988, held the Secretary of the Navy’s Research Chair in Naval History, 1991-92, and since 1998 has served as a member of the Secretary of the Navy’s Advisory Subcommittee on Naval History. He founded Texas Tech’s Vietnam Center and Vietnam Archive in 1989, and Texas Tech’s Institute for Modern Conflict, Diplomacy & Reconciliation and affiliated Center for War & Diplomacy in the Post-Vietnam War Era in 2007. Reckner is a founding and current board member of the Texas Aviation Heritage Foundation, Inc., and the Silent Wings Museum Foundation. He is a member of the editorial board of Vietnam Magazine and series editor of Texas Tech University Press’s Modern Southeast Asia series.
As Director of the Vietnam Center, Reckner organized, funded and conducted 16 Vietnam-related conferences and symposia, and invited numerous Vietnam War-related dignitaries to Texas Tech to meet with students and speak about their experiences. Since September 2007, Reckner has been Executive Director of Texas Tech’s Institute for Modern Conflict, Diplomacy & Reconciliation.
Since 1992, Reckner has directed 31 theses and dissertations to completion. Many of these theses and dissertations have been published by major academic presses.
During his naval service, Reckner received the Bronze Star Medal with Combat “V”, the Navy Commendation Medal with Combat “V”, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry and several other individual and unit awards.
Reckner also has received the Faculty Distinguished Leadership Award (2004), the President’s Outstanding Leadership Award (1996), Phi Alpha Theta Outstanding Faculty Member Award (1994), the La Ventana Outstanding Professor Award (1994), Hemphill-Wells New Professor Excellence in Teaching Award (1991), Gold Key National Honor Society Teaching Award (1991)
and the Theodore & Franklin D. Roosevelt Annual Naval History Award, 1989 (for Teddy Roosevelt’s Great White Fleet)
Within the Lubbock community, Reckner was named one of “Lubbock’s Most Powerful Men,” Lubbock Avalanche-Journal Poll (1999). He received the “Spirit of a West Texan Award” (1995), and was named “Headliner of the Year” (1991) by Women in Communications, Inc.