Shipps, Jan, 1929-

Jan Shipps is an American historian specializing in Mormon history, particularly in the latter half of the 20th century. Shipps is generally regarded as the foremost non-Mormon scholar of the Latter-Day Saint movement, having given particular attention to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). She served as president of the Mormon History Association, and was both the first woman and first non-church member to do so. In addition to many articles and reviews for both popular and scholarly periodicals, she is the author of "Mormonism: The Story of a New Religious Tradition," which is often used as a textbook in college and university courses on American religions. Her objective "outsider" position garnered respect from Mormons and non-Mormons alike, and she was frequently sought after to provide context any time the LDS church was featured in the news.

Jan Shipps is an American historian and author specializing in Mormon history, particularly in the latter half of the twentieth century to the present. She received her Ph.D. in history and taught at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis for many years. She has published many books and articles.