Dr. Jonathon Free

Dr. Jonathon Free supports the Energy Initiative’s research development efforts and teaches a course on the history of energy.

He is a historian of the modern U.S. with an emphasis on energy, political economy, and the environment. He completed his Ph.D. at Duke University, where his dissertation examined the history of the U.S. coal industry during the 1970s. In addition to teaching a course on the history of energy, Jonathon supports Energy Initiative research development, including the administration of the Energy Research Seed Fund, regular seminars, and its annual Energy Research Collaboration Workshops. His personal research has received support from the Forest History Society, The Miller Center for Public Affairs at the University of Virginia, and the Center for the History of Business, Technology, and Society at the Hagley Library and Museum.