Published on March 2, 2017 by Erin Bognar  
Mayfield Book
John Mayfield's new book explores honor in southern culture

Samford University history professor John Mayfield coedited the new anthology The Field of Honor: Essays on Southern Character and American Identity.

The book, coedited with University of South Carolina Aiken English professor Todd Hagstette, takes fresh looks at the concept of honor as expressed through Southern culture, and re-examines the role of honor as an ethic and a code of behavior.

Mayfield’s academic specialties include the old south and colonial history. He is the author of three additional books, including The New Nation: 1800–1845, Rehearsal for Republicanism: Free Soil and the Politics of Antislavery, and Counterfeit Gentlemen: Manhood and Humor in the Old South.

The new book explores honor in many dimensions, including the marketplace, law, education, the family and religion.

“Honor is an ethical and social behavior code based on reputation,’ said Mayfield. “This volume goes into the many expressions of that code in court rooms, in colleges, in the marketplace and more.”

Erin Bognar is a journalism and mass communication major and news and feature writer in the Division of Marketing and Communication.

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Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.