University Press of Kentucky Author Timothy K. Nenninger Receives the Secretary of Defense Medal for Meritorious Civilian Service

University Press of Kentucky author Timothy K. Nenninger has been awarded the Secretary of Defense Medal for Meritorious Civilian Service from the United States Secretary of Defense, Chuck Hagel. The award was presented on Saturday, April 5, at The Society for Military History'sannual meeting in Kansas City, Missouri.

The Secretary of Defense Medal for Meritorious Civilian Service was established on November 26, 1954, and is the second highest career award that is presented by the Department of Defense to a civilian employee. It is awarded to employees of the Department of Defense for exceptional devotion to duty and for contributions to the operation of the Department. The award recognizes Nenninger's contributions at the National Archives over three decades in assisting numerous historians (government and academic) in researching and writing military history that influenced and guided the professional education and decision making of Department of Defense civilian and military leaders at all levels.

Timothy K. Nenninger is the editor of The Way of Duty, Honor, Country: The Memoir of Charles Pelot Summerall. After graduating from West Point in 1892, Charles Pelot Summerall (1867-1955) launched a distinguished military career, fighting Filipino insurgents in 1899 and Boxers in China in 1900. His remarkable service included brigade, division, and corps commands in World War I; duty as chief of staff of the U.S. Army from 1926 to 1930; and presidency of The Citadel for twenty years, where he was instrumental in establishing the school's national reputation. He left behind a detailed manuscript of his life which Nenninger edited and annotated, adding comprehensively researched footnotes and creating an accessible biography that provides a valuable resource for anyone interested in the life of a celebrated soldier who witnessed profound technological, military, and social advances.

Timothy K. Nenninger is chief of the Textual Records reference staff at the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration. His previous works include The Leavenworth Schools and the Old Army: Education, Professionalism, and the Officer Corps of the US Army, 1881-1918 and Soldiers and Civilians: The US Army and the American People.

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