When Marilyn Stokstad started teaching art history in 1958 at Kansas University, she wasn’t expecting to become a part of history herself.

She was just flattered to get a job offer.

“In my day, women were not exactly welcome,” she said. “There were lots of jobs around, but people were not hiring women. I was lucky to get an offer at a public university.”

Now 44 years later, Stokstad has become a nationally known art historian, and her textbook is used in college classrooms across the country. She’s widely regarded for increasing the profile of women both in art history teaching and at KU.

Stokstad, 73, will retire from KU at the end of this semester.

“She’s a wonderful representative of the state of the Kansas,” said Linda Stone-Ferrier, chair of the art history department. “She has a very high-profile professional reputation by virtue of all her experience.”

Stokstad received her bachelor’s degree at Carleton College in Northfield, Minn., her master’s at Michigan State University and her doctorate degree at the University of Michigan.

She interviewed at KU, in part, as an excuse to visit the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Mo. But she fell in love with KU’s campus and decided to accept the job.

She’s had many offers to leave KU. But, she said, “Usually they’d offer me a more interesting job here.”

In addition to being an art history professor, she was director of the KU Art Museum, then in Spooner Hall, from 1961 to 1968. She was the first woman to serve as associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences from 1972 to 1976.

She’s credited with establishing KU’s graduate program in art history in the 1960s.

Although women were sparse in art history academia in the 1950s, Stokstad said women now dominate the field.

“It’s really what you can do, not who you are that makes a difference now,” she said.

Stokstad’s first book, “Medieval Art,” published in 1986, focuses on her specialty, 12th-century sculpture.

Her more recent book, “Art History,” published in 1995 and updated last year, takes a more general approach. It’s unique for two reasons: It includes more women artists than past books, and includes art from all parts of the world, not just Europe and the United States.

In addition to its textbook version, “Art History” has been released in a two-volume popular edition. That version has been featured on NBC’s “Today Show” and CBS’ “Sunday Morning.”

Although she’s retiring from KU, Stokstad may be busier than ever. She’s completing a half-length edition of “Art History” to be sold in bookstores.

She’s also writing a book on castles that will be geared toward a junior high and high school audience.

And she serves as an art lecturer aboard cruises organized by the Smithsonian Institution.

“I will not be teaching KU undergraduates anymore, that’s the difference,” she said.

Stokstad said many people assume art history doesn’t change over time. But she said plenty has changed during her 44 years at KU as archaeologists learn more about art and cultures.

“Even though it’s 800 years ago, we’re learning so much more,” she said. “There are very different attitudes.”