The Civil War Institute’s much-beloved director, Peter Carmichael, passed away July 21, 2024 due to complications from a respiratory illness. His passing is absolutely devastating to all who knew him, but especially to his ever-wonderful wife, Beth, and beautiful daughters, Cameron and Isabel, whom he loved fiercely.
Pete was a true visionary whose contributions to Gettysburg College and the Civil War Institute since his arrival here in the Fall of 2010 are innumerable. He was bold, daring, and courageous, and infectiously charismatic. With the help of his staff, he created the highly successful Public History minor and exponentially expanded the Funded Internship Program for Gettysburg students interested in working in a variety of sub-fields within Public History. He was a brilliant historian, the author of several important books and numerous articles, and an invaluable series editor with UNC Press. His uncommon talent for melding the latest academic scholarship into publicly accessible lectures, battlefield tours, and workshops placed him in high demand, across the country, and on various t.v. networks.
Pete was a masterful teacher; he excited, mesmerized, challenged, and inspired his students with his enthusiastic delivery of historical material and the ways he encouraged his students to rigorously interrogate primary sources to more fully understand the mindsets, experiences, and decisions made by historical actors. He demanded critical thinking of his students, and worked closely with them on honing their analytical writing skills. His classroom stretched far beyond the walls of Gettysburg College, out onto the battlefield, and into the broader community. Always in search of good conversation, he gave of himself in incomparable ways to help enrich the minds and lives of anyone he encountered. His energy was boundless and his genuine love for life an inspiration.
Pete was also unflinchingly kind, generous, boundlessly curious, and refused to ever meet a stranger. He had a truly unique ability to level distinctions and bring individuals together from a wide variety of backgrounds and interests. His leadership of the CWI's annual conference has brought hundreds, even thousands, of the general public in conversation with each other and with the leading scholars and public historians in the field. He so enjoyed welcoming folks from across the country and around the world to Gettysburg every summer and getting to share history with like-minded individuals.
Pete also possessed a truly unique sense of humor and charisma that kept us laughing in the most absurd of places and situations. His energy and wit filled the CWI office with good cheer on a daily basis. It's hard to think of Pete and not immediately think of one of his many one-of-a-kind one-liners that he would drop unexpectedly into conversations as only he could.
Pete had so much left to do and give to this world; he was so excited about sharing the book he was currently writing with the world, and eager to teach a new class on Lincoln in Fall 2024. He looked forward to welcoming the incoming class of Gettysburg College students and meeting the next wave of budding young historians. He so enjoyed catching up with former students in their current jobs out on the battlefield or in museums, and was so proud of his current advisees whom he looked so forward to helping guide through the rest of their Gettysburg experience and into the next chapter of their lives.
Perhaps most importantly, Pete was a loving and devoted husband and father who was fiercely proud of his girls and simply adored his beautiful wife. Pete would often tell us that some of his most prized memories were of those out romping the battlefield with Cameron and Isabel when they were little, and of the amazing adventures and the precious time he got to spend with Beth and the girls in his beloved Paris.
We at the CWI are thoroughly shattered by his passing. He was our director, our colleague, but most importantly, our dear, dear friend. He was a truly singular individual whose passing leaves a gaping hole in the hearts and lives of countless individuals.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in Pete’s name may be made to the Funded Internship Program at Gettysburg College or the newly-established Peter S. Carmichael Endowed Scholarship. Pete was a brain cancer survivor, and gifts in his memory may also be directed to support the work of Dr. Stuart Grossman at Johns Hopkins Medicine. Gifts may be mailed with a memo indicating that this gift is in memory of Peter S. Carmichael to the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, 750 East Pratt Street, 17th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202, or make a gift online.
Online tributes and condolences are available at monahanfuneralhome.com.