Dan Masters, History MA Student Awarded the Local History Publication Award for 2017

03 Monday Dec 2018

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Dan Masters Bowling Green State University master’s student was awarded the Local History Publication Award for 2017 from the Center For Archival Collections presenting on his work on Shermans Praetorian Guard: Civil War Letters of John McIntrye Lemmon 72nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Masters created the book from of his work indexing the letters of American Civil War soldiers writing home to Northwest Ohio newspapers. Masters was drawn to the project after writing his first book No Greater Glory which examined the writing of the 144th Ohio Infantry Regiment during the Civil War. While researching the book he happened upon thousands of Civil War letters from soldiers from Northwest Ohio in local papers and wondered how much more of this material was there? Masters began to index the letters in collaboration with the Center for Archival Collections to create an index of the letters. Continue reading →

Digitizing The Past: Interning For Monroe History Museum

17 Wednesday Oct 2018

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by Lee Slusher, MA Fall 2018

Over the course of the summer and early fall of 2018 I completed an internship for Monroe County Museum in Monroe, Michigan. The museum offers educational programs for scouts, elderly, and people of all ages. Monroe County Museum creates exhibits and presentations focused on Monroe Counties local history; they manage historical sites at their Territorial park and Monroe County Fairgrounds providing living history programs depicting life in Monroe County from the 1810s to the 1820s. Their collections and programs in the past traditionally focused on the region’s famous native General George Armstrong Custer. In recent years the museum has diversified their programming to educate about the unique history of Monroe County and its citizens. Their mission is to fuel and cultivate their visitors’ curiosity through the exploration of Monroe County’s rich and varied stories, joining together to unearth meaning and illuminate relevant connections between the past, present, and future. Continue reading →

Prof. Mary Dudziak to Give 2018 Hess Lecture

24 Friday Aug 2018

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The Department of History at BGSU is delighted to announce that Professor Mary L. Dudziak, a leading U.S. legal historian and the 2017 President of the Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations (SHAFR), will present this fall the 2018 Gary R. Hess Lecture in Policy History on Monday, October 22ndat 4:00pmin the Bowen-Thompson Student Union, Room 228.

Prof. Dudziak

Prof. Dudziak

Professor Dudziak’s lecture, tentatively entitled “The War Powers Pivot: How Congress Lost its Power in Korea,”will derive from the Korean War chapter in her forthcoming book, Going to War: An American History.  Under contract with Oxford University Press, the book will present a revisionist account of the decline of political restraints on presidential war power. Her research on the topic has been influenced by Dr. Hess’s book, Presidential Decisions for War.We believe her discussion of the Korean conflict and presidential war powers will be particularly timely.

Professor Dudziak is Asa Griggs Candler Professor of Law at Emory University.  Her recent and current research lies at the intersection of domestic law and U.S. international affairs, examining war and political accountability in American history. She is the author of War·Time: An Idea, Its History, Its Consequences (Oxford University Press, 2012); and editor of September 11 in History: A Watershed Moment? (Duke University Press, 2003); She founded the Legal History Blog and contributes to Balkinization, a group blog on constitutional law, theory, and politics. .

War-Time Book CoverMany of us have admired Professor Dudziak’s scholarship since the appearance of her earlier work that examined the impact of Cold War foreign affairs on civil rights policy. She is the author of Exporting American Dreams: Thurgood Marshall’s African Journey (Oxford University Press, 2008); Cold War Civil Rights: Race and the Image of American Democracy (Princeton University Press, 2000) (2nd ed. 2011); and co-editor (with Leti Volpp) of Legal Borderlands: Law and the Construction of American Borders, a special issue of American Quarterly(September 2005), reissued by Johns Hopkins University Press in March 2006. Other works on civil rights history and 20th-century constitutional history have appeared in numerous law reviews and other journals.

Prof. Hess

Prof. Hess

Prior to joining Emory Law in 2012, she was the Judge Edward J. and Ruey L. Guirado Professor of Law, History and Political Science at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law; she also held joint appointments in USC’s departments of history and political science. Prior to joining USC Law, she was a law clerk for Judge Sam J. Ervin, III, of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, and a professor of law and history at the University of Iowa. Prof. Dudziak served as the John Hope Franklin Visiting Professor of American Legal History at Duke Law School and as the William Nelson Cromwell Visiting Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. She has also been a Distinguished Visitor at the University of Maryland School of Law.

Professor Dudziak earned JD, MA, MPhil and PhD degrees from Yale University and an AB from the University of California, Berkeley.

Established by Dr. Hess’s former students to recognize his forty-five years of service to the department, BGSU, and the profession, Gary R. Hess Lecture in Policy Historyis an annual distinguished lecture invites a senior scholar in the field of foreign relations or military history to present a public lecture on a topic in their field of expertise.

 

Past presenters of the Gary R. Hess Lecture in Policy History:

 

2017 “ The Paradox of Wilsonianism: World War I and American Internationalism”

Lloyd Ambrosius, University of Nebraska

2016 “A Grain of SALT: Arms Control, the Soviet Threat, and the War on the CIA”

Richard Immerman, Temple University

2015 “Mission Accomplished or Mission Failure? The United States and Iraq since 1990”

Peter L. Hahn, Ohio State University

2014 “The Atomic Bombings Reconsidered”

Barton J. Bernstein, Stanford University

2013 “Are Indians Part of Diplomatic History?”

Walter L. Hixson, University of Akron

2011 “Analogies at War: The Use and Misuse of History in Foreign Policy Decision-Making”

George Herring, University of Kentucky

 

Why is the history major a good option for business careers?

11 Saturday Aug 2018

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Nathan Boyle, recently named the Director of Project Management at the Thread Marketing Group, has had a successful business career as a consultant in marketing and e-commerce. Despite this, his collegiate career didn’t start with a business degree; instead, he graduated BGSU with a degree in history. The path may seem odd, but not for Nathan, who credits his training in historical skills as a major boost for his career. Dr. Amílcar Challú and I interviewed Nathan about his views about the importance of college-level historical training in launching a career.

It did not take much prodding to get to Nathan’s opinion about why studying history matters: “[It] developed certain skills that set me apart from traditional business applicants” in my first job, he said. “Critical thinking skills are the most important characteristic a person can have in any field. Unfortunately, the skill is not taught in grade school and many college programs do not teach it either.” History programs, on the other hand, teach and develop critical thinkers, which set historians apart. From understanding historical significance, to interpreting the past from varied and potentially biased evidence, historians are expected to think critically about everything. Expanding on the advantages critical thinking and other historical skills such as analysis, organization and perspective provided him, Nathan states that his history degree allowed him to pursue any career he wanted post-university life. “History afforded me a virtual blank check. I could go to law school. Business school. Become a doctor. Go to history graduate school. Get a job. Do whatever I wanted.” History degrees do not all go on to become professors or get a PhD. Many go into business, become museum professionals, work for the government, go to law school, etc. Historians and their skills are universal across the world.

Nathan Boyle, BGSU History Alum, 1997

Can you give an advice to current history students? Education itself is the most important aspect of going to college, not having a set-in career path. “Educating yourself is the most important thing as it develops responsible societal citizens who can make a better world. You do not need a set career in place. I didn’t!  No matter what you do, no one can take your education from you.” He urges students to take your time, enjoy the ride, and develop the skills necessary to succeed later in life. As Nathan so eloquently stated, “You can make your career later,” especially with a liberal arts degree in history.  Asked for final comments related to the question of if he had any regrets studying history instead of business or other, more “practical” degrees, he laughed simply yet stated emphatically “none”.

Next time somebody asks you what you can do with a history degree, simply say “whatever I want.” Because, as Nathan Boyle pointed out and proves, you truly can go anywhere and do anything, especially when accompanied by universal skills honed by the historical process.

John Stawicki. John Stawicki is a recent History alum. He is currently pursuing a Masters degree in history as well as a CPA.

Dr. Nicole Jackson’s Presentation at Way Library

02 Monday Jul 2018

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Dr. Jackson Presenting

“Toledo’s Great Migrations: Two or Three?”  BGSU’s own Dr. Nicole Jackson, Associate Professor of History, posed this question to a diverse audience at Way Public Library in Perrysburg on Wednesday evening, June 27.

The usual story identifies Toledo as part of two great migrations:  Migration #1 was the movement of former slaves away from their masters’ homes after the Civil War; Migration #2 was the movement of rural African Americans to urban areas in the north and west between the 1940s and 1970s.  Dr. Jackson suggested an additional Migration for Toledo: the movement of fugitive slaves from slave-holding states to Ohio, other northern states and Canada.  In this alternate Migration #1, Toledo played a major role, both by creating incipient black communities and by extending the pathway from slavery to freedom for those fleeing bondage in slave-holding states.  Black communities established in the Toledo area during the first two migrations attracted those who came in the third migration.  Dr. Jackson’s presentation on this aspect of local history drew lively questions and discussion from the audience and provided an excellent example of the way scholars can connect the university and the public.

We’re hiring!

01 Friday Jun 2018

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The Department of History is recruiting a full-time instructor in the field of Ancient History. Please check bgsu.hiretouch.com for the full description. (If the link doesn’t work, please check go to bgsu.hiretouch.com, then search the History Department posting.) It’s a great time to join us: excellence in undergraduate and graduate education, professional development, curriculum innovation, and great colleagues and students. The deadline to apply for the position is June 21.

New Course: Slave Resistance, Fugitivity and the Underground Railroad

18 Wednesday Apr 2018

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The Department of History is pleased to announce that Dr. Jackson will be offering a new course in the fall: HIST 3910, “Slave Resistance, Fugitivity and the Underground Railroad.”

The Underground Railroad MapThe course counts as an elective in the History major and minor, it is cross-listed with Ethnic Studies 3000, and fulfills the upper-division requirement of the Multidisciplinary Core of the College of Arts and Sciences. It will meet on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays 11:30-12:20.

From Dr. Jackson:

There are only a few well known instances of slave rebellion in the United States, and only one successful revolution in the Americas, a fact that slave owners often used to assert that enslaved people were happy with their bondage. But as Harriet Tubman allegedly said, “There were two things I had a right to, liberty or death; if I could not have one, I would have the other.” Enslaved people constantly resisted the dehumanization of their enslavement in any way they could, even if it cost them their lives. This course looks at the history of slavery through the eyes of people who refused to let the institution of slavery rob them of the large and small freedoms all humans crave. We will consider slave narratives, rebellions and representations of slave resistance in popular culture (films, novels, television). The course will also investigate the important role that Ohio, especially northwest Ohio, and Michigan, in particular Detroit, played in the history of the Underground Railroad and free Black communities. 

 

Recognizing Excellence in Our History Students

06 Friday Apr 2018

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We held our annual Celebration of Excellence in History today. This was a collaborative effort of faculty, staff, Phi Alpha Theta and alums to recognize undergraduate and graduate student achievement with awards and scholarships.

 

GRADUATE AWARDS

 

LAWRENCE FRIEDMAN OUTSTANDING GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH AWARD

Established in 1993 in honor of Dr. Lawrence J. Friedman, Distinguished University Professor Emeritus of the Department of History. This award is given for outstanding graduate student research.  The dissertation/thesis must be nominated in writing by the student’s mentor.

Presented by Dr. Ruth W. Herndon to Michael Horton

 

OUTSTANDING GRADUATE SEMINAR PAPER 

Awarded to a graduate student that submits the best paper from a History class during the 2017 year (Spring, Summer, and Fall 2017 semesters).

                                    Presented by Dr. Michael E. Brooks to Chris Lause

                                    Honorable Mention: Rebekah Brown 

 

OUTSTANDING TEACHING ASSISTANT AWARD

This award is presented to the graduate student recognized as the outstanding teaching assistant in the BGSU Department of History.

Presented by Dr. Kara E. Barr to Kaysie Harrington

 

OUTSTANDING DEPARTMENTAL CITIZEN AWARD 

Kyle Penzinski receives special recognition from peers in Phi Alpha Theta

This award is presented to a graduate student for meritorious contributions to the BGSU Department of History.

                                    Presented by Dr. Rebecca J. Mancuso to Kyle Penzinski

 

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH
AND AWARDS

 

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH EXCELLENCE IN HISTORY AWARD

Presented to an undergraduate student who submits an excellent history research paper based on primary sources. Recipient agrees to present their work in a public forum sponsored by the Department of History.

Presented by Dr. Luke A. Nichter to Austin Kepling: “Thunderclap from a Cloudless Sky: German-Americans in Northwest Ohio during the Great War” Written for Dr. Benjamin Greene’s HIST 4800: 20th Century America (Fall 2017)

 

JO ENGER ARTHUR SCHOLARSHIP FOR STUDY ABROAD

 Created in 2001 by Jo Enger Arthur’s son, Mike Arthur, BGSU class of 1974, in honor of his mother’s interest in history and overseas travel.  Jo Arthur studied history at BGSU, where she later met her husband E. Printy Arthur, BGSU class of 1950. This scholarship offers support for study abroad for majors or minors in history, integrated social studies, international studies, or European language.  Applicants will normally have completed at least 12 hours of history courses and have a GPA in history of 3.2 or higher.

Presented by Dr. Kara E. Barr to Emily Ambrose

STUART R. AND FLORENCE P. GIVENS SENIOR HISTORY SCHOLARSHIP

Established in 2001 in honor of Dr. Stuart R. Givens, former Chair and Professor Emeritus of the History Department, and University historian, and his wife Florence P. Givens.  Dr. Given’s forty-five year career was dedicated primarily to his two loves – teaching and service to the University and to the Bowling Green community. This award is presented to a rising senior majoring in history or integrated social studies with a minimum GPA of 3.2.  The student must have a strong record of service to the department, University, or community.

Presented by Dr. Rebecca J. Mancuso to Cooper Clark

THE GROVER AND VIRGINIA PLATT MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND

Established in 1989 in memory of Dr. Grover Platt, former Chair and Professor Emeritus of the Department of History by his wife Dr. Virginia Platt.  The scholarship was later changed by the couple’s daughter, Carolyn V. Platt, to honor both parents.  Dr. Virginia Platt was a former trustee of the University and served on the History Department faculty. Awarded to an undergraduate student majoring in history.  Preference given to students who are the first generation of their family to attend a college or university, and recognizes academic achievement.

Presented by Dr. Nicole M. Jackson to Rebecca Good and Annebell Meddock

 

JOHN SCHWARZ ESSAY AWARD

Established in honor of John Schwarz, former Chair of the Department of History.  This scholarship is awarded to a history major for the best essay completed for a history requirement.

Presented by Dr. Luke A. Nichter to Ernest Valladares III “Disaster in Africa: An Examination of the Combat Development of the United States Army at Kasserine Pass,” written for Dr. Benjamin Greene’s HIST 4800: 20th Century America (Fall 2017)

 

Dr. Nwauwa presents Fulwyler award to Good and Money

GENERAL NILES J. FULWYLER HISTORY SCHOLARSHIP

Established for the purpose of providing scholarships to History students and to honor the memory of Dr. Virginia Platt.  General Fulwyler received the BGSU Distinguished Alumni Award in 1984.  Dr. Virginia Platt was a former trustee of the University and served on the History Department faculty. 

Presented by Dr. Apollos Okwuchi Nwauwa to Rebecca Good and Jacob Money

 

MARY ELLEN KEIL SCHOLARSHIP

Established by Mary Ellen Keil, a graduate of BGSU.  Keil was a school teacher and later served as a Captain in the USAFR during WWII.  This scholarship is granted to a student who has declared an interest in pursuing studies in history. Preference is given to females, native Ohioans, and for scholastic achievement.  All eligible candidates are automatically referred to the department by the enrolling office. There is no application for the scholarship.

Presented by Dr. Amílcar E. Challú to Renee Altaffer; Debi Kaur; Moira Armstrong; Annabelle Meddock; Kelly Beavers; Anne Mier; Aislinn Bill; Sarah Miller; Chloe Bortz; Megan Miner; Rebecca Good; Kaitlin Osborne; Alannah Graves; Kinzey Schreiber; Haley Hoffman; Olivia Vandevender; Taylor Holtman; Brooke Weirick; Victoria Kahrs; Mary Wires; Alexis Karolin.

OUTSTANDING SENIOR IN HISTORY AWARD

Presented to a senior history major for service to the Department and fellow majors combined with demonstrated academic excellence.

Presented by Dr. Rebecca J. Mancuso to Jake Householder

 

SPECIAL RECOGNITION

Special recognition for an exemplary role in leading the History Society, assistance with the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee, social media, Preview and Presidents’ Day or other History Department activities and events. 

Presented by Dr. Nicole M. Jackson to Dominique Seo

 

Dr. Grunden’s guest lecture at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing

05 Thursday Apr 2018

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On Tuesday, April 3, 2018, BGSU History Department Professor Walter Grunden visited the prestigious Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing to present an invited guest lecture at the Institute for the History of Natural Sciences. The lecture, entitled, “The Left Behind: Travel Restrictions, Science Policy, and the Cold War in Occupied Japan,” examined how United States occupation officials used visas for international travel from 1945 to 1952 as both a carrot and stick to influence the political behavior of Japanese scientists, which ultimately resulted in the isolation of a select group who were deemed to have been communists, socialists, or “fellow travelers.” Grunden’s host, Professor Zaiqing Fang, noted that this is an aspect of postwar Japanese history about which Chinese academics know too little. The essay upon which the lecture was based has been accepted for publication in the Journal of American-East Asian Relations.

Grunden’s visit to Beijing marks the halfway point in a six-month long journey in Asia, which so far has taken him to South Korea, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and several destinations in China. “I am trying to get the most out of my spring sabbatical not only by conducting research for my primary project, but also by visiting important historical sites, such as the Great Wall, and pursuing side interests, such as experiencing national history museums, as well as exploring numerous temples to examine up close the many forms of Buddhist iconography that can be found throughout East and Southeast Asia. I’m really looking forward to sharing these experiences with my students when I return to Bowling Green,” Grunden said. Grunden also remarked that the trip has had some particularly memorable moments. “One day last week as we exited a museum, we found that all the traffic in our part of the city had come to a complete stop. There was an incredible security presence with both police and uniformed military officers lining the streets. Suddenly, on the overpass ahead, there arrived a number of police and military vehicles followed by series of luxury sedans speeding by. Only the next day did we learn that we had encountered Kim Jong-Un’s motorcade on its way to downtown Beijing.”

The next stop for Grunden will be Japan, where he will continue his research on science policy during the years of the US

occupation. Grunden has been awarded a grant from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science to collaborate on this project with Professor Kenji Ito at the Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI) in Hayama, Japan.

 

Photo 1: Grunden (center) and Professor Zaiqing Fang (left) pose for a photo with faculty and graduate students of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the University of the Chinese Academy of Science’s College of Humanities & Social Sciences

Photo 2: Promotional poster for Grunden’s lecture, “The Left Behind”

Photo 3: Grunden and his wife, Han Li, on the Great Wall at Juyongguan north of Beijing

BGSU Alumni Present at AHA conference

02 Monday Apr 2018

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Falcons Take Flight: Alumni Participate in American Historical Association’s 2018 Annual Meeting

 

The BGSU History Department received some excellent recognition at a scholarly conference at the beginning of the year when alumni presented research at the highest profile gathering of historians in the country.

On January 5, Michael Kneisel (M.A., 2014), Lindsey Bauman (M.A., 2017) and Michael Horton (M.A., 2017) presented “Teaching the Master Narrative,” at the American Historical Association’s 132nd annual meeting in Washington, D.C.  The session focused on the accepted narratives of different historical figures and events within 20th century U.S. history textbooks.

Mike Horton’s paper, “Texas Discovers Columbus: The Columbian Legacy in Texas Textbooks, 1919-2017,” examined how textbooks portray the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1492.  Mike Kneisel’s paper, “Constructing an American Mythology: The Boston Tea Party in High School Textbooks,” looked at how textbooks present the 1773 Boston Tea Party.  And Lindsey Bauman’s paper, “Suffering in Silence: The Voice and Representation of Slaves in 1950s American History Textbooks,” examined how textbooks describe slavery in the antebellum South.

“The preparation process for our session was fairly meticulous, but it provided its own valuable networking opportunities,” said Lindsey Bauman. “Following all of the groundwork, actually presenting at the conference was its own kind of reward. The event presented us with a platform to reach a diverse group of professionals.”

The lively presentation was attended by an audience of 70-80 that included college professors, high school teachers, textbook writers, public historians, and journalists. Afterward, a New York Times reporter interviewed Lindsey Bauman for a story about Confederate monuments.

The session was organized by Dr. Ruth Herndon and chaired by Dr. James Buss, Dean of the Honors College at Salisbury State University (Maryland) and another BGSU alumnus (M.A., 2002).  Dr. Kyle Ward, Social Studies Director at Minnesota State University, Mankato, who has written about high school history textbooks, became an honorary falcon for the weekend and joined the session as its commentator.

The study of textbooks is a vibrant field of historical study.  Textbooks evolve with society; textbook versions of history often conflict with each other as new generations interpret the past through different lenses.  Audience discussion and twitter posts about the session reflected this controversy over how historical knowledge is produced and then reproduced in textbooks.  Dr. Buss identified the session’s central question for historians: “How can (and should) we ask our students to undertake the difficult task of thinking like an historian?” The three papers, he said, “proffer suggestions for how we might think about teaching the past as we move into the future.”

The three papers showed how textbook history tends to legitimate the perspective of those with the most cultural and political power at the time of publication. “The presenters’ papers made me very happy because they went beyond the obvious,” said Dr. Ward.  “What I’ve found is that stories change, stories disappear, or stories remain intact. The accepted role of history education is to help create better citizens, and these stories reflect what kind of citizens students are expected to become.”

 

Mike Horton spoke for all three presenters when he pointed to “the conversations” generated by the session.  These conversations provided valuable feedback about new sources and research techniques; they also introduced the presenters to potential collaborators in future projects.

Mike Kneisel is currently in the History Ph.D. program at Kent State University; Mike Horton is in the Master’s Program in Underwater Archaeology at the University of Miami (Florida); Lindsey Bauman worked most recently as archivist and historical researcher at Whirlpool Corporation in Clyde, Ohio.

 

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Pictured: Ward, Bauman, Kneisel, Horton, Buss

 

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