Michael Green

Professor and Chair, History
Expertise: Nevada, Gaming, Civil War Era, Politics

Biography

Michael Green is a professor of history at UNLV and teaches classes for both the history department and the Honors College. His courses range throughout U.S. history, but his teaching and research particularly focus on Las Vegas and Nevada history, the Civil War era and Abraham Lincoln, and the U.S. Supreme Court.

He is the author of Nevada: A History of the Silver State and co-author of Las Vegas:  A Centennial History, among other books and articles about Nevada. He has published three books on the Civil War era, including Lincoln and the Election of 1860 and Politics and America in Crisis: The Coming of the Civil War. He writes "Nevada Yesterdays," read by former U.S. Senator Richard Bryan, for KNPR and Nevada Humanities. A former journalist, he has served as a columnist for Nevada's Washington Watch and Vegas Seven. He is a member of the board of directors for The Mob Museum, for which he was one of the researchers.

 

Education

  • Ph.D., Columbia University
  • M.A., University of Nevada, Las Vegas
  • B.A., University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Michael Green In The News

K.N.P.R. News
No Nevadan affected his state more in the 20th century than Pat McCarran. He was Nevada's first native born United States Senator. Raised on his family sheep ranch outside of Reno. He entered politics in 1902 as a Democratic candidate for the assembly at the age of 26. His support came from forces trying to elect another Nevada's powerful politician, Francis Newlands to the United States Senate.
City Cast Las Vegas
While Nevada has a long history of old family names in politics (think the Goodmans, the Reids), the list of candidates that have filed to run in 2026 in Southern Nevada contains a shockingly low number of legacy names. How much power do these famous families still hold? Co-hosts Sarah Lohman and Dayvid Figler talk with UNLV history professor Michael Green to talk about the political dynasties of Las Vegas and if a legacy last name still matters as much as it used to.
The Nevada Independent
The majority of the jurists are re-elected after opposition doesn’t materialize. Eight seats – seven in Clark County – will have new judges after retirements.
K.S.N.V. T.V. News 3
Students across the Las Vegas area walked out of classes Wednesday to protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement following the shooting death of a woman killed in Minneapolis by an ICE agent.

Articles Featuring Michael Green

Some early studying during the opening week of the Spring 2026 semester (Josh Hawkins/UNLV).
Campus News | February 3, 2026

A look at some of the most eye-grabbing headlines featuring UNLV faculty, staff, and students.

Fall colors 2025
Campus News | November 10, 2025

Some of the biggest news headlines featuring UNLV faculty and students.