On Thursday, September 29, National Trustee Bruce Nyberg visited the History Department.  Mr. Nyberg is a retired banker  and philanthropist from Michigan who graduated from Bowling Green State University in 1968 as a Business and History double major. In his last year he worked closely with Professor Gary Hess and other history faculty. In his biographical note after his appointment as a trustee, Mr. Nyberg emphasized how critical his history training was in shaping his attitudes. (An informative profile of Trustee Nyberg here.)

The morning started with Nyberg and other trustees sitting in on Dr. Benjamin Greene’s course on the Vietnam War. After the class, Nyberg walked to Williams Hall and had coffee with a group of about fifteen undergraduate and graduate students, and faculty members.  It was a lively exchange that ranged from the Vietnam War, to the role of the humanities in the present-day higher education landscape.  As a former student, Nyberg shared stories of his experiences at Bowling Green State University during the late sixties, a time of strong political activism on campus.  Citing his background in business and history, Nyberg reinforced that both economics and the humanities can benefit an overall world view and inform a successful career.  We all appreciated Nyberg’s passion for a liberal arts education and this opportunity for a fruitful dialogue.

This contribution was written by Lindsey Bauman, second year M.A. student, and Amílcar Challú, Associate Professor of History.