Winfred Trexler Root (March 9, 1879 – December 8, 1947) was an American historian and educator.
[1] Root was born in Mount Joy, Pennsylvania and received his undergraduate education at Princeton University.
[2] In 1925 he accepted a position as head of the history department at the University of Iowa, succeeding Arthur M. Schlesinger, and would remain there until his death.
[2][3] George L. Mosse, who was a history professor at Iowa during Root's tenure, described him as a "benevolent dictator".
[4] In 1930 Root was elected to the Council of the American Historical Association.