May 19, 2003

Spain To Knight SMU History Professor David Weber

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DALLAS (SMU) -- He goes by Dr. David Weber or Professor David Weber, but now he'll also be Sir David Weber.

SMU History Professor David Weber, whose specialty is the American Southwest and U.S. and Mexico borderlands, is to be knighted by the Spanish government. In recognition of his scholarly work on Spain's influence on the New World, King Juan Carlos of Spain is making him a knight of the Order of Isabela la Catolica -- the highest award the king can give to a non-citizen.

At 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 20, representatives from the Spanish Embassy and the Spanish consulate general's office in Dallas will knight Weber in a special ceremony at SMU's Meadows Museum. The museum houses one of the largest collections of Spanish art outside Spain.

"David is the preeminent historian of the Borderlands, a region which he has illuminated in his scholarship, in the classroom and for the reading public with a grace and distinction of achievement and person that have been an inspiration to me and my colleagues for more than a quarter of a century," said James Hopkins, chair of the William P. Clements Jr. Department of History. "He is one of the greatest teacher/scholars in the history of our university."

Weber is the Robert and Nancy Dedman Professor of History at SMU and also the director of the William P. Clements Center for Southwest Studies. He is the author of more than 20 books, including his 1992 book, The Spanish Frontier in North America, which was hailed as a notable book by The New York Times. Currently, Weber is working on Spaniards and their Savages in the Age of Enlightenment.