| Unit Name: | United States Marine Corps History Division |
| Dates: | 8 September 1919 |
| Country: | United States |
| Branch: | United States Marine Corps |
| Type: | Historical |
| Garrison: | Marine Corps Base Quantico |
| Garrison Label: | HQ |
| Commander1: | Dr. Edward T. Nevgloski[1] |
| Commander1 Label: | Director |
The United States Marine Corps History Division is an arm of the Headquarters Marine Corps tasked with researching, writing, and maintaining the History of the United States Marine Corps. It also provides reference and research assistance; preserves personal experiences and observations through oral history interviews; and deploys field historians to record history in the making. It is headquartered at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia.
The History Division was formed on 8 September 1919, by Order Number 53 of Commandant of the Marine Corps George Barnett as the Historical Section of the Department of the Adjutant and Inspector.[2] After World War II, the organization was known as "Marine Corps History and Museums Division" until the splitting of the division in 2005 in order to create the National Museum of the Marine Corps.
The United States Marine Corps History Division is a staff organization with the primary task of researching and writing the Marine Corps’ official history. The unit is not a division-sized military formation.[3] It is organized into four branches:[4]
Since its inception, the following individuals have served as director:
| Rank | Name | Tenure began | Tenure ended | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Major | Edwin N. McClellan | |||
| 2 | Major | Edward W. Sturdevant | |||
| 3 | Captain | Lucian W. Burnham | |||
| acting | Mr. | James C. Jenkins | |||
| 4 | Captain | Jonas H. Platt | |||
| 5 | Major | Edwin N. McClellan | |||
| 6 | Captain | Harry A. Ellsworth | |||
| 7 | Lieutenant colonel | Alphonse DeCarre | |||
| 8 | Lieutenant colonel | Clyde H. Metcalf | |||
| acting | Mr. | James C. Jenkins | |||
| 8 | Colonel | Clyde H. Metcalf | |||
| acting | Captain | Philips D. Carleton | |||
| 9 | Colonel | John Potts | |||
| 10 | Colonel | Howard N. Kenyon | |||
| 11 | Lieutenant colonel | Ellsworth N. Murray | |||
| 12 | Lieutenant colonel | Robert D. Heinl Jr. | |||
| 13 | Lieutenant colonel | Gordon D. Gayle | |||
| 14 | Lieutenant colonel | Francis O. Hough | |||
| 15 | Lieutenant colonel | Harry W. Edwards | |||
| 16 | Colonel | Charles W. Harrison | |||
| 17 | Major | Hubard D. Kuokka | |||
| 18 | Major | Gerald Fink | |||
| 19 | Colonel | William M. Miller | |||
| 20 | Colonel | Thomas G. Roe | |||
| acting | Major | John H. Johnstone | |||
| 21 | Colonel | Joseph F. Wagner Jr. | |||
| 22 | Lieutenant colonel | Richard J. Schening | |||
| 23 | Colonel | Frank C. Caldwell | |||
| 24 | Brigadier general | Edwin H. Simmons | |||
| 24 | Brigadier general (ret.) | Edwin H. Simmons | |||
| 25 | Colonel | Michael F. Monigan | |||
| 26 | Colonel (ret.) | John W. Ripley | |||
| acting | Mr. | Charles D. Melson | |||
| acting | Colonel (ret.) | Richard D. Camp Jr. | |||
| 27 | Dr. | Charles P. Neimeyer | December 2017 | ||
| 28 | Dr. | Edward T. Nevgloski | December 2022 | ||
| 29 | Dr. | Shawn P. Callahan | Present |
The History Division maintains several publications, including the quarterly newsletter Fortitudine, which was a traditional motto of the Corps before semper fidelis was adapted in 1883. They also maintain an archive of all historical publications published since its founding.