Laura Ellyn Smith

Professor Laura Ellyn Smith is a presidential historian. She is an Assistant Teaching Professor at Arizona State University, where she is a member of the Public History Committee.

She is finalizing a second doctorate – a DPhil in U.S. History at Oxford University, St. Anne’s College, analyzing the development of presidential power in foreign policy at the turn of the 20th century. She is the recipient of the Philip Davies Fellowship in U.S. Politics at The British Library. As a tutorial instructor she taught American history and politics at 19 of Oxford’s colleges and is experienced at educating diverse audiences.

She graduated with a Ph.D. in History from the University of Mississippi. Her thesis was entitled “Populism and Democratization in the Presidential Election of 1832.” This work has become the basis for her book “Rhetoric versus Reality: Democratization and the Presidential Election of 1832,” under contract.

From March 2020-May 2021, she taught American Race Relations and Politics at Canterbury Christ Church University. Her students at Canterbury Christ Church University nominated her for two teaching awards, Most Dedicated to Students’ Learning, and Most Dedicated to Supporting Students.

She gained a Distinction in her MA in U.S. History and Politics at University College London, where she was awarded the Americas Excellence Award. She graduated with First Class Honors for her BA in American Studies with a Year Abroad from the University of Leicester.

She enjoys contributing to public history. See for example, Missouri Humanities panel on 19th century political parties: https://www.facebook.com/mohumanities/videos/1196348274056783/

See her ORCiD page for expanded CV: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1164-7358