Mel Piehl was born in North Dakota and raised in Wyoming and Missouri. He earned his Ph.D. in American History from Stanford University, specializing in American intellectual, political, and religious history. He is a Professor of Humanities and History in Christ College, the honors college of Valparaiso University, where he currently serves as dean.
He has written widely on American Catholicism and Catholic Social Thought. His book Breaking Bread: The Origin of Catholic Radicalism in America (2nd ed., 2006) was a finalist for the Robert F. Kennedy National Book Award. He is also co-author of an American History text, The Brief American Pageant. He has taught courses in many areas of history, culture, and social thought–most recently a seminar on Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War.
Mel and Eileen Piehl live in Valparaiso, Indiana. Eileen is a school psychologist. They both enjoy classical music (including concerts in Chicago’s Millennium Park), ballet, biking, and travel, including visiting their daughters Valerie–an assistant school principal in Indianapolis–and Stephanie, an architect in Washington, D.C. Eileen likes to read many kinds of fiction, and also enjoys learning about homes and architecture. Mel reads mostly non-fiction, especially history, religion, and political theory of all kinds. Among his current favorite writers are James Agee, Charles Taylor, Garry Wills, Flannery O’Connor, and novelist David Lodge.