A Civil War historian who also is recognized for his World War II scholarship will present the 2001 Tommie and Donald Zacharias Lecture at Mississippi State.

Dr. Russell F. Weigley, who holds the rank of Distinguished Professor of History at the Center for the Study of Force and Diplomacy at Temple University, speaks Feb. 5 in the university's McComas Hall theater. "The Great Anglo-American Strategic Debate of World War II" will be his topic.

The 7:30 p.m. public program is sponsored by the College of Arts and Sciences, which launched the lecture series last year to honor MSU's 15th president and his wife. Now president emeritus, Zacharias led Mississippi State 1985-97.

Weigley's presentation will seek to dispel a misconception about wartime relations between the United States and its British allies. "Contrary to myth, Winston Churchill was less interested in curbing the Russians than he was in curbing the Americans during World War II," he has said.

Currently working on a multi-volume history of war from the 17th century to the present, Weigley has a long interest in the use of war as a political instrument. His new work analyzes the evolution of military professions and the problems of the ethics of war, among other topics.

Weigley is among a half dozen scholars also taking part in the MSU history department's 17th Turning Points in History Forum Feb. 6 and 7. (see related story page 1)

For more information on the Zacharias Lecture, telephone 325-2646.