[2] His middle name was a reference to Albert Sidney Johnston, a Confederate States of America commander.
With Merle Curti as a doctoral advisor, Maxwell embarked on a biography of Robert M. La Follette.
In addition to associate professor at the university, Maxwell was director of the Bureau of East Texas Research.
he traveled all over East Texas tracking down archives and conducting interviews with officials of lumber and railroad companies.
He taught three classes in American history there and also gave a traveling tour of guest lectures in England and Germany.
Several years later, in 1969, Maxwell accepted the position as chair of the history department, this time as a permanent replacement for C.K.
Maxwell collaborated with a lumber company executive, E.L. Kurth, a member of the Forest History Society board, to compile lumber-history-related documents.
[10] Maxwell married Margaret Dunning, who was a member of the faculty of the University of Wisconsin School of Social Work.