Today@Dal

The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences wishes to share the sad news of the passing of Dr. Christopher M. Bell, Professor of History, at age 57.

Chris joined the History Department in 2003, after earning his PhD at the University of Calgary in 1998 and working for several years as a research analyst at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. He went on to become an internationally respected historian of Winston Churchill and the Royal Navy, with a long list of articles and book chapters, three co-edited collections of essays, and three monographs to his credit. His books on Churchill and Sea Power (2012) and Churchill and the Dardanelles (2020) were especially well-received, establishing his reputation in the field and reaching audiences beyond academia alone. Chris enjoyed his time in the classroom and was a highly regarded teacher. In 2009 he received the FASS Award for Excellence in Teaching. His classes on, e.g., the First World War, War and Society since 1945, and a senior seminar on Churchill were always very popular. He supervised 18 Honours students, 12 Masters students, and one PhD student who produced works on various aspects of naval and military history. He will be widely missed.

We extend our deepest condolences to his family and friends.

Read Dr. Bell’s obituary.