Hugh Ambrose, historian who helped develop WWII Museum, dead at 48

Hugh Ambrose, a historian who played a significant role in developing the National World War II Museum, which was founded by his father in 2000, died Saturday after a lengthy battle with cancer. He was 48.

Ambrose served as a consultant for the 10-part World War II HBO production “The Pacific” and wrote The New York Times best-selling companion book to the miniseries.

He was the son of acclaimed biographer Stephen Ambrose, a longtime University of New Orleans history professor who spearheaded the founding of the former National D-Day Museum in the Warehouse District.

Hugh Ambrose earned his undergraduate and master’s degrees in history at the University of Montana. He worked with his father on several documentaries and films, including HBO’s “Band of Brothers” and the best-sellers “Citizen Soldiers,” “Nothing Like It in the World” and “Undaunted Courage.”

In 1971, the 5-year-old Ambrose moved to New Orleans when his father returned to the city to teach at UNO.

After the museum opened in 2000, Ambrose served on its board for several years and assumed the job of vice president of development after his father died in 2002, the museum’s president and CEO, Gordon “Nick” Mueller, said. ...