John Putman

John Putman is an Associate Dean in the College of Arts and Letters and a Professor of History. He received his Ph.D. from the University of California, San Diego in 2000). Putman is a historian of the modern American West (late 19th and 20th centuries), particularly California and the Pacific coast states. His first book, Class and Gender Politics in Progressive Era Seattle (University of Nevada Press, 2008) explores class and gender politics in the urban Northwest. His most recent book, Boosting a New West: Pacific Coast Expositions, 1905-1916 (Washington State University Press, 2020) explores the marketing of the West through early 20^th-century Pacific Coast expositions. He is also interested in the cultural history of the 20th century U.S., specifically science fiction and Cold War films, and the social and cultural meanings of Star Trek. His current research project examines the social, cultural, and political landscape of the United States through three science fiction television shows: Star Trek Deep Space Nine, The X-Files, and Babylon 5. From 2015-2021, John served as the Director of SDSU’s International Business Program.

Areas of Responsibility