Dr. Phillip J. Naylor, professor emeritus of history in the Klingler College of Arts and Sciences, died July 20, 2026, following a period of illness. He was 77.
Naylor devoted his life to teaching, scholarship and exploration. After earning his Ph.D. in history from Marquette University in 1980, he taught at Merrimack College in North Andover, Mass., before returning to Marquette, where he spent more than three decades educating generations of students. His teaching spanned a wide range of subjects, including Western Civilization, the Middle East and North Africa, the Byzantine Empire, the History of Rock and Roll and global history.
Known for his engaging classroom presence and helping students examine the complexities of history and the human experience, Naylor received numerous teaching honors throughout his career, including Marquette’s Rev. John P. Raynor, S.J., Faculty Award for Teaching Excellence.
“Phil Naylor was an exemplary educator. He brought his enthusiasm for the material to every class, and the students responded in kind,” says Dr. Heather Hathaway, acting dean of the Klingler College of Arts and Sciences. “He was also a generous colleague who contributed to countless university initiatives and service duties. Many of us are feeling his loss acutely.”
Many alumni remember his large Western Civilization lectures in the Varsity Theater and his ability to connect historical study to contemporary life, culture and music. One of his great pleasures was introducing students to the great fourteenth-century Arab historian Ibn Khaldun, whose intellectual curiosity, excitement for travel, and commitment to service would shape his own career.
A respected scholar of North African history, Naylor specialized in the histories of Algeria, North Africa and the Middle East. He served as co-editor-in-chief of the Journal of North African Studies and authored several influential works, including North Africa: A History from Antiquity to the Present, The Historical Dictionary of Algeria and France and Algeria: A History of Decolonization and Transformation. His scholarship emphasized encounters and exchanges among civilizations and explored how societies understand and interpret the past.
Outside the classroom, Naylor brought together his passions for music and history. He taught the popular History of Rock and Roll course, researched Milwaukee’s rock music scene and performed with “Western Civilizations,” a blues band composed of Marquette colleagues.
Born Nov. 18, 1948, in Evanston, Ill., Naylor attended the University of Illinois at Chicago, where he played collegiate soccer and participated in ROTC. He later served as a captain in the U.S. Army Reserves.
Naylor is survived by his wife, Kathryn; his children, Alexander and Athena; and his brother, Alexander.
Memorial donations may be made to the Marquette University Center for Peacemaking at 1616 W. Wells St., Milwaukee, WI, 53233.
A full obituary is available online at Feerick Funeral Home. A celebration of life will be held in September 2026. Additional details will be announced at a later date.
The Marquette community extends its condolences to Dr. Naylor’s family, friends, former students and colleagues.
