Phil Roberts
Published May 07, 2025
By Missy Samp
A major gift to UW creates the Phil Roberts Faculty Fellowship in Wyoming History and the West.
Phil Roberts defended his dissertation at the University of Washington July 10, 1990. The date holds significance for him in more ways than one. It marked the completion of his Ph.D. in history, and it commemorated the 100th anniversary of Wyoming statehood, a particularly meaningful event to a leading authority on the Cowboy State’s history.
That fall, Roberts joined the Department of History at the University of Wyoming to teach Wyoming history. However, Roberts was no stranger to UW. He first came to the university in 1967. He earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from UW as well as his law degree.
During his 30-year career at UW, Roberts, who is originally from Lusk, taught thousands of students about the history of the state. He also taught public history courses and graduate seminars, and he developed new courses, including History of Wyoming Law and History of Oil.
His favorite class to teach was Wyoming History because he tried to teach it differently every semester.
“I tried to make sure that, if somebody dropped out in the third week and came back the next year, they’d find it was a totally different class,” Roberts says. “One year, I taught it backward. I started with the modern times and worked backward.”
In addition to being a dedicated teacher, Roberts is recognized as a meticulous researcher, a prolific writer and an engaging speaker.
To honor Roberts’s legacy, a new faculty fellowship has been named for the professor emeritus. The Phil Roberts Faculty Fellowship in Wyoming History and the West was established recently, thanks to a major gift from an anonymous donor combined with state matching funds.
“That was one of the nicest tributes I’ve ever had,” Roberts says. “I was mighty honored to have that happen.”
The new fund will be used to recruit and retain a scholar who will specialize in the history of Wyoming and the West.
“Through the Phil Roberts Faculty Fellowship in Wyoming History and the West, UW ensures that Dr. Roberts’s legacy will live on and that students will continue to learn about the fascinating history of Wyoming and the West,” says Jeffrey Means, chair of UW’s Department of History and an associate professor.
Roberts sees the fellowship as an opportunity for a faculty member to travel around the state, conducting research and speaking with citizens.
“We learn a lot when we go out to various corners of the state, because there are always things changing, and that would help the faculty member or whoever used the fellowship to stay abreast of what’s going on,” he says.
The faculty member is not the only one to benefit from the fellowship, Roberts says.
“I think everybody benefits — the university because it raises our position around the state, where they say, ‘Oh, well, you think of Wyoming history, you’ve got to remember UW,’ and it helps students because it encourages students to get into history, and they see that it’s relevant to life today,” he says.
The Phil Roberts Faculty Fellowship in Wyoming History and the West not only honors Roberts’s legacy, but it also provides students with the opportunity to learn from the past to prepare for the future.