Mildred Inzer Byers, a retired professor of history at Salem College in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, passed on March 1, 2019. She was 92 years old.
Byers joined the faculty at Salem College in 1957 and served there for the next 35 years. During her tenure, she taught courses in American social and cultural history, British history, American women’s history, U.S. history, and Russian history. She was the inaugural holder of the Ivy Max Hixson Chair in the Humanities at the college.
In 1969, Dr. Byers received the H.A. Pfohl Award for service, character, and effective teaching. Additionally, in honor of her career, Salem College named an award after her: the Inzer Byers History Award, which is sponsored by the Phi Alpha Theta Honor Society. The award recognizes excellence in an emerging scholar in history, political science, or international relations.
Dr. Byers was a graduate of what is now Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Virginia where she double-majored in history and English. She held a master’s degree and Ph.D. in history from Radcliffe College and Harvard University.