Professor of History and Religious Studies, 1973-1995
One of the country's foremost experts on Mormonism, Jan Shipps, Ph.D. came to IU Indianapolis in 1973 as a professor of history and religion. She is the author of Mormonism: the Story of a New Religious Tradition, a highly respected history of the Mormon faith. Shipps is one of the only non-Mormon scholars to have been elected as a member of the Council of the Mormon History Association.
Dr. Shipps' interdisciplinary approach to the fields of religion and history resulted in her interest in IU Indianapolis's Center for American Studies, which was founded in 1975. In 1980, Shipps assumed directorship of the center and worked to strengthen its administration and national credibility. During this time, she helped establish the POLIS Center (1984) and the Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture (1989). Dr. Shipps' leadership also left a lasting impact on the Department of History. In the 1980s, she chaired the department's graduate affairs committee, which successfully petitioned to bring a graduate program in history to IU Indianapolis in 1985.
Dr. Shipps retired in 1995 and currently works at the POLIS center as a research associate.
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