William H. (William Harrison) Mace

William Harrison Mace (November 27, 1852 – August 10, 1938) was an American historian, teacher, and textbook writer. He is especially associated with school histories of the United States and with teaching American history at Syracuse University.

Born in Lexington, Indiana, he studied at the University of Michigan before building a career in education. Over the years he wrote and co-wrote many books for students and teachers, including A School History of the United States, A Primary History: Stories of Heroism, and later Lincoln and Douglas. His work reflects a practical goal: to present history in a way that was structured, accessible, and useful in the classroom.

Mace is remembered less as a literary celebrity than as a steady, influential educator whose books were widely used in American schools. For listeners interested in older history writing, his work offers a window into how the American past was taught in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.