ROBERT M. UTLEY OCTOBER 31, 1929-JUNE 7, 2022

A former student's personal tribute remembers a great historian, mentor and friend.

- Paul Andrew Hutton

Robert M. Utley-the Old Bison, as he styled himself passed away on June 7, 2022, in Scottsdale, Arizona, where he had lived the past 13 years with his wife of 42 years, Melody Webb. He was my dear friend, professional mentor, and surrogate father. He was also our greatest Western historian of the last half-century.

Born in Bauxite, Arkansas, on October 31, 1929, Utley was mostly raised in Indiana, where he attended the rival Hoosier schools Purdue University (BA, 1951) and Indiana University (MA, 1952). His master's thesis, "The Custer Controversy," written under the direction of Oscar Osburn Winther, reflected his fascination with George Custer and the Battle of the Little Bighorn. It had been a viewing of Errol Flynn as Custer in the 1941 film They Died With their Boots On that had set the 12-year-old boy on this lifelong obsession. This led him to seek a position as an "historical aide" under crusty old Major Edward Luce at Custer Battlefield National Monument in Montana. He spent six summers there, during which time he interviewed Charles Windolph, the last 7th Cavalry survivor of Custer's last battle (in which he had earned the Medal of Honor). This gave Utley a personal connection to the battle that he always cherished.