▁Ph . D . ▁So ▁there ▁was ▁no ▁break . ▁I ▁looked ▁upon ▁my ▁under grad uate ▁history ▁as ▁prepar ation ▁for ▁my ▁Ph . D . ▁because ▁those ▁who ▁taught ▁under grad uate ▁courses ▁were ▁also ▁the ▁principal ▁ment ors ▁at ▁Wisconsin . ▁Mer le ▁Cur ti ▁accepted ▁me ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁his ▁students . ▁I ▁became ▁involved ▁in ▁social ▁and ▁intellectual ▁history -- in ▁those ▁days ▁they ▁were ▁w oven ▁together -- and ▁completed ▁my ▁Ph . D . ▁in ▁January ▁ 1 9 5 2 .” ▁Ber th rong ▁received ▁his ▁Ph . D . ▁in ▁labor ▁history ▁and ▁constitution al ▁law . ▁ ▁Although ▁Ber th rong ▁trained ▁in ▁social ▁and ▁intellectual ▁history ▁during ▁his ▁time ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Wisconsin , ▁he ▁also ▁received ▁an ▁introduction ▁to ▁Frederick ▁Jackson ▁Turner ▁and ▁Western ▁history ▁under ▁Vern on ▁Car st ensen . ▁Due ▁to ▁the ▁significant ▁influence ▁of ▁“ Turn er ians ” ▁in ▁Ber th rong ’ s ▁youth , ▁he ▁would ▁be ▁s way ed ▁to ▁study ▁Western ▁history ▁for ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁his ▁remaining ▁career . ▁ ▁Academ ic ▁career ▁During ▁ 1 9 5 1 - 1 9 5 2 , ▁Ber th rong ▁served ▁as ▁an ▁instruct or ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Kansas ▁City , ▁now ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Missouri , ▁Kansas ▁City . ▁After ▁receiving ▁his ▁doctor ate , ▁he ▁accepted ▁a ▁professor ship ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Oklahoma . ▁He ▁remained ▁employed ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Oklahoma ▁between ▁ 1 9 5 2