Kris Beasley is writing his third professional chapter with a master’s in history from UAH

Kris Beaslye picture
Ann Marie Martin | UAH

Chapter One: Kris Beasley spends 28 years in the U.S. Air Force, loves every minute of it, and retires as a colonel just as his daughter starts high school.

Chapter Two: Beasley works for Boeing, supporting military aircraft all over the world for nine years. He enjoys it, then retires again.

Chapter Three: Beasley enrolls at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a professional historian. In a major plot point, he receives his Master of Arts in history during UAH commencement ceremonies on Dec. 16, 2024. UAH is a part of The University of Alabama System.

“I’m here because I want to continue to learn and grow,” Beasley says. “I’ve always wanted to become a professional historian – not sure what I’ll do with it – but I’ve always wanted to be involved in that world.

“UAH had a good reputation from the people I talked to, and a strong military and veterans program. It was convenient and affordable. It just seemed like a really good opportunity to do something I’ve wanted to do most of my life.”

At UAH, Beasley has explored a wide range of historical periods, including the Middle Ages, the Reformation and the 20th century. His work has taken him from ancient Rome to modern Latin America. He says he’s had fun exploring topics that were less familiar to him as well as contributing insights from his own personal experiences.

“I’ve been through some of the things that we’ve talked about, and that has really proved positive. I’m interacting with fellow students who are anywhere from a third of my age to half my age, and I’m getting a lot from them. There are so many thoughtful and articulate young people who are going here. It’s been a positive two-way interaction.

“And the faculty have all been fun. Sometimes we don’t always agree, but we always are able to have really good dialogue. They’ve opened my mind to a lot of things, and they’ve taught me a lot of things. It’s been a great experience.”

One of Beasley’s best class experiences led him to an unexpected academic delight.

“I’ve always had this fascination for airships, so I picked that topic in my modern Europe class that Dr. Molly Johnson taught. Airships were a major thing in the early 20th century. She gave us the freedom to think and learn. I went into online archives and found all kinds of interesting things. We created these digital timelines that were really fun to do. I want to thank her for everything she and the rest of the history faculty have taught me.”

That project inspired Beasley to take an archives class with Reagan Grimsley, head of Special Collections and Archives in the Salmon Library.

“He opened my mind to a whole new world. I’ve been working in the archives now for the last year and a half, and I absolutely love it. I’m working on a collection of aircraft things, which he asked me to do because I have that expertise.

“I never thought I’d enjoy sitting around in the archives working on a bunch of stuff, but I do. I was just processing some documents from 1920. These are people writing about airplanes before airplanes were really understood very well. Just to be able to see that kind of stuff!”

Beasley’s enjoying this research so much that it’s sure to play a significant role as he continues to write his third chapter.

Details about the UAH fall 2024 commencement are available on the UAH commencement website.