Directory of Members

Michael L. Strauss, MA, AG®, AGL™, is a professional genealogist and military historian. His research expertise is recognized in the judicial systems of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, where he provides testimony as an expert witness in kinship and forensic estate investigation. In addition to his courtroom experience, he lectures at universities, conferences, and institutes. Strauss earned a B.A. in history with a focus on the Civil War from Shepherd University in West Virginia.. He also earned his M.A. in military history from the University of Massachusetts in Boston, with his thesis titled: Ever Under Steam: The Revenue Cutter Service in the Spanish American War.  Strauss has authored several publications, including books, edited collections, peer-reviewed journal articles, popular history writings, blogs, and book reviews, illustrating his academic credentials on military history.

• Accredited Genealogist, International Commission of Accredited Professional Genealogist, Salt Lake City, Utah.
• Accredited Genealogist Lecturer, International Commission of Accredited Professional Genealogist, Salt Lake City, Utah.
• Expert Witness, Surrogate Court, New York (New York, Bronx, Queens, Kings, Richmond, Nassau, Suffolk, West Chester, and Erie Counties).
• Expert Witness, Surrogate Court, New Jersey (Sussex County).
• Expert Witness, Court of Common Pleas, Pennsylvania (Elk, Butler, and Delaware Counties).
• Expert Witness, Circuit Court, Virginia (Virginia Beach, Portsmouth, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Hampton, and Newport News).

• Academic Excellence Award, University of Massachusetts, Boston, Massachusetts, 2025
• Chapter Service Award: Utah Genealogical Association, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2023
• General George C. Marshall Foundation, Research Grant, Virginia Military Institute, Lexington, Virginia, 2006
• Foundation for Coast Guard History, Research Grant, Seattle, Washington, 2005
• Reverend Paul and Jean Thompson Scholarship, Shepherd University, Shepherdstown, West Virginia, 2005.

• Forensic Research
• Heir & Probate Search
• Military Repatriation
• Military Research (Colonial Era to Vietnam War)

• A House Divided: Research in the Civil War
• Roosevelt's Tree Army: Understanding the Civilian Conservation Corps
• Fighting on the Frontier: The Westward Resistance of the Native American Indians
• That Splendid Little War: Researching the Spanish-American War
• Crossing the Border: The Punitive Expedition of 1916
• The Great War: The Impact of World War I on Modern Society
• Over the Top: Canadians in the First World War
• Free Trade and Sailor's Rights: Research in the War of 1812
• Researching your Colonial War Ancestors
• Defending the Frontier: Pennsylvania's Citizen Soldiers in the French and Indian War
• The Road to Independence: Defying the British during the Revolutionary War
• The Militia Act of 1792: Pennsylvania's Response to the Whiskey Rebellion
• Manifest Destiny: The Mexican-American War and Territorial Expansion
• Trial and Punishment: Records of the Uniform Code of Military Justice
• Dog Tags: Identifying our Military Dead
• Spies, Slackers and Aliens: The American Protective League
• The Draft and the Selective Service System
• Militia and the Records of the National Guard
• World War II Military Research and Records
• Crossing the 38th Parallel: Lessons Learned from the Korean War
• Honoring the Memory of the Vietnam War
• Refugees, Claims and Pardons: Reconciliation during the Reconstruction Era
• Traveling with the Army: Non-Combatants and their Role in the Military
• Love Thy Brother: Conscientious Objectors in the Civil War
• Deeds Not Words: The Legacy of the Merchant Marines
• Introduction to Military History Research
• Following the Armies: Researching Military Maps
• Hallowed Ground: Burying of our Honored Military Dead
• Risking it All: The United States Life-Saving Service
• Bankruptcy to Equity: Using Federal Court Records
• Records of Invention: Unlocking the Secrets of the United States Patent Office
• Copyrights and Trademarks
• The New Deal: Putting your Ancestors to Work
• From Tariffs to Federal Taxes: Investigating America's Economic Foundation
• Postmasters, Letter Carriers, and Railway Clerks: Records of the Postal Service
• Federal Penitentiary, Pardons and Extradition Records
• Decoding Social Security: Providing Benefits to our Ancestors
• Women's Suffrage: Their Rights, Roles, and Limitations
• Influenza: The Twentieth Century's Deadliest Pandemic
• Gravestones and Epitaphs of our Ancestors
• Historical Maps: The World at your Fingertips
• Work Skills of Old: Justice of the Peace Records

• For complete listing of all lectures topics visit https://genealogyresearchnetwork.com and search under tab marked Lectures.

• New lectures and topics available upon request
• Detailed syllabus provided for all lecture topics
• Available to travel or present remotely as a webinar topic.

For complete listing of all previous and upcoming lectures visit https://genealogyresearchnetwork.com/speaking-schedule