MICANOPY, FL, February 01, 2021 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Marquis Who's Who, the world's premier publisher of biographical profiles, is proud to present Chris Monaco, PhD, with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. An accomplished listee, Dr. Monaco celebrates many years' experience in his professional network, and has been noted for achievements, leadership qualities, and the credentials and successes his has accrued in his field. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Having spent his early career writing, producing and directing for several major cable television networks in New York City, Dr. Monaco has since distinguished himself as a successful historian and writer. In 1993, after 15 years in his field, he was diagnosed with a rare form of multiple sclerosis and was given only a short time to live. Despite declining health, he produced the award-winning series, "Education Showcase" as a public service on behalf of the cable TV industry. Returning to his second home in Florida with his wife shortly thereafter, Dr. Monaco's health slowly improved. Inspired by the history of north-central Florida, he produced the award-winning short film "The Far Frontier." Shortly afterward he decided to forgo the media in order to pursue a career in academia, still keen to disprove his grim medical prognosis. After having published several peer-reviewed articles in history, he travelled to England where he completed his studies in history at Oxford Brookes University and was eventually appointed a research associate. With PhD in hand, and despite physical limitations from multiple sclerosis, Dr. Monaco returned to the United States where, after further success as an innovative researcher and published author, he was named a courtesy professor of history at the University of Florida in Gainesville.
In addition to myriad articles in national and international journals, Dr. Monaco authored three books, including "Moses Levy of Florida: Jewish Utopian an Antebellum Reformer," which was the recipient of the Presidential Award of Distinction from the Florida Historical Society. His book, "The Second Seminole War and the Limits of American Aggression," published by Johns Hopkins University Press, has been recognized as the definitive work on this conflict. Additionally, "The Rise of Modern Jewish Politics: Extraordinary Movement," a ground-breaking study published by Routledge Press, utilized an interdisciplinary approach to envision how Jews first entered the political sphere.
While undertaking research at the British Library in London, Dr. Monaco discovered Moses E. Levy's anonymous pamphlet "A Plan for the Abolition of Slavery," the earliest and most important antislavery publication by an American Jew. In Florida Dr. Monaco also identified M. E. Levy's Pilgrimage Plantation, the first Jewish communal settlement in the U.S. which existed from 1822 to 1835. As a result of these findings and his subsequent Levy biography, Dr. Monaco has established this previously neglected personality as a major figure in American Jewish history and a particularly influential Jewish citizen of the south. From 2010-11 Dr. Monaco served as co-principal investigator in a field study of the opening battles of the Second Seminole War (1835-1842) funded by the American Battlefield Protection Program. The locations of three battlefields and two forts were consequently located. Largely because of this work, Dr. Monaco was inspired to write his highly regarded book on the Second Seminole War. Likewise, as a civic leader in his community, Dr. Monaco found success on the planning board for the town of Micanopy, Florida, between 1997 and 1999, and has currently excelled as the founder and president of the Micanopy Trust for Historic Forts and Battlefields.
Aside from his longtime support for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Dr. Monaco is also a committed advocate for the treatment of autism and serves on the advisory board for the Autism Centre of Excellence at the University of Cambridge.
Prior to embarking upon his professional journey, Dr. Monaco attended the University of Florida, from which he earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1973. He subsequently studied at the University of South Florida, where he received a Master of Fine Arts in 1977. Dr. Monaco concluded his academic efforts in 2007, having attained a Doctor of Philosophy in history at Oxford Brookes University. In supporting his professional work, he has been active as a member of the Florida Historical Society, the Southern Jewish Historical Society, and the Organization of American Historians. He is also a member of the University of Florida Alumni Association.
Dr. Monaco secured a graduate fellowship from the University of South Florida in 1976 and an Individual Artist Fellowship via the Florida Fine Arts Council in 1978. Recognized for his contributions to film and communications, he received the "Flori Award" from the Florida Independent Filmmakers Festival in 1979, an Award of Excellence from the National Cable TV Advertising and Marketing in 1986, a Beacon Award from the National Cable TV Public Affairs Association in 1994, a Hampton Dunn Award from the Florida Historical Society in 1998 and an Outstanding Achievement Award from the Florida Trust for Historical Preservation in 1999.
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