Military historian Barry Strauss receives U.S. Naval War College Hattendorf Prize

Barry Strauss '74, Bryce and Edith M. Bowmar Professor in Humanistic Studies Emeritus in the College of Arts and Sciences, was awarded the Hattendorf Prize from the U.S. Naval War College for 2026. The prize is awarded every two years and honors a lifetime of work researching and writing about military history. At an event on Sept. 9, Strauss was presented with a bronze medal, a citation and an award of $10,000.

After accepting the prize, Strauss delivered a lecture titled "Sea Power Today: Lessons from Greece and Rome."

"Prof. Strauss has over his distinguished career made military history accessible to millions, and we're incredibly fortunate to have had this chance to honor his work and hear his perspective on sea power, informed by decades of research into the wars that have shaped our world," said J. Ross Dancy, Naval War College associate provost for research, in a statement.

"I'm deeply honored to receive an award from the Naval War College, a historic thought leader about sea power, and an award named for John Hattendorf, one of the great maritime historians," Strauss said.

Read the full story on the College of Arts and Sciences website.