Congratulations to Fall 2009 History Graduates

The history department congratulates its most recent graduates, who received their degrees Friday December 18 and Saturday December 19, 2009. Alan Backer received an MA degree in History, and William "Bill" Bailey III, Alyson Buck, Rachel Hillman, Lewis Martin, Elizabeth "Beth" Simmons, Casey Smith, Dawn Suiter, and Christopher Weed received BA degrees in history, with Hillman, Martin, Simmons, and Suiter receiving Class B, History and Social Sciences, Grades 6-12 teaching certification.



Pictured here are Rachel Hillman with her daughter, Dawn Suiter and Beth Simmons, and Bill Bailey at the Liberal Arts commencement ceremony.

Congratulations to Sam Thomas on New Publication on Midwives

The history department congratulates assistant professor Sam Thomas on his new article, "Early Modern Midwifery: Splitting the Profession, Connecting the History," published in the Journal of Social History 43, No. 1 (2009): 115-38.

In this article, Sam analyzes documents from church courts to demonstrate that in early modern England a midwife's social status was key to her success as a medical practitioner. The wealthier a woman was, the better she could do the work of a midwife. He also examines changing perceptions of midwifery, arguing that in the early 1700s men and women began to view midwifery as a science, and thus a field for men rather than women.

See here a document that Sam interprets, an affidavit claiming that a midwife is 'ordinarily addicted to Lyeing, sweareing, and cursing.'

Alumnus Susanna Leberman publishes book of love letters

Susanna Leberman, who received both her BA and MA degrees from the department, recently edited a booklet of letters showing the life of Mabel Hughes, a local school teacher. Susanna found the letters while working at the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library. The letters are from two of Mabel's beaus, who were "wooing her by mail." The letters, which include several from a sailor in the merchant marine, reveal amazing passion and show the literacy of a bygone era. Susanna added a narrative that puts the letters in the context of life in Huntsville in the early decades of the 20th Century and selected photos. Mabel's story became part of a recent theater production at Merrimack Hall; Susanna was a historical consultant for the play. You can buy the book at the main branch of the library in the archives on the third floor.

Ancestry.Com Grant for "Real People, Real History" Public History Project

The department congratulations professor John Kvach on receiving an "Ancestry Institution" award to support the "Real People, Real History" public history project on the Civil War in Madison County, funded in part by the History Channel. For more on this project, see the below blog entry .

The grant will give all 250+ local high school students as well as the UAH students involved in the project full access to Ancestry.com. This award will allow students to explore census, land, legal, local, military and personal records and newspapers. The award is worth $155.40 per person for the year and there will be about 265 people associated with the project, bringing the value of the award in terms of services provided to $41,075.

Congratulations to Dr. Kvach and his public school and library colleagues. We look forward to seeing the end result of this exciting endeavor!

Fieldnotes from History Alum and Fulbright Scholar Jennifer Staton

The history department was very proud of Jennifer Staton, class of 2009, who won a highly-competitive Fulbright fellowship to work as an English Teaching Assistant in Germany for academic year 2009-2010.

Since early September, Jennifer has been teaching at the Grundschule Klein Hehlen (a primary school), in the city of Celle, helping with the English classes of grades
1-4.

In an email to the UAH history department, Jennifer reports that, “It's so much fun, even though I don't believe I'll ever be able to fully understand Kinderdeutsch. The children seem to look forward to my visits to their class, and I'm instantly recognized by them when I'm out in the courtyard (and then some; I must get "I saw you yesterdaaaay!" at least once a day, since they see me walking in the afternoons). It makes me feel like I must be doing something right while TA-ing, since they are fairly proficient at learning the lessons. The teachers are also friendly and obliging, and the headmistress, Frau Katrin Doehrmann, has especially made me feel welcome to the school (she also teaches four of the English classes I assist). Everyone has helped me so much.”



Jennifer, reflecting on her time at UAH, stated that, "Being a part of the Fulbright program is definitely a life-changing experience, but I look back on the application process at UAH and still thank everyone involved in this grant. This includes the History Department. . . . Even though I'll change in many ways because of this grant, I won't forget the great experience I had as a history undergrad at UAH."



Pictured here see a photograph of the town of Celle featuring the bicycles everybody rides; a picture of the Grundschule Klein Hehlen; and a picture of Jennifer enjoying herself in her free time in Germany.

We wish Jennifer continued success during her year in Germany!

Huntsville Times Article on Dr. John Kvach's History Channel Grant

The Huntsville Times recently published an article detailing the work of assistant professor John Kvach, in cooperation with area secondary school teachers, the Huntsville Public Library, and UAH and high school students, to document the history of the Civil War in Madison County, Alabama. The project was one of 11 projects chosen out of 535 applicants for funding by the History Channel.

For furthur details, please see the Huntsville Times article and the blog posting below from 31 July 2009.

Pictured here see John with his sons Tom and Ben.

We look forward to seeing how this project evolves and applaud the cooperative effort involving so many facets of the historical community in Madison County, Alabama.

Book on Civil Rights Movement Published by UAH History Alum John W. McKerley

John McKerley, one of our graduates who earned a Ph.D. in history from the University of Iowa in 2008, has co-edited his first book, Foot Soldiers for Democracy: The Men, Women, and Children of the Birmingham Civil Rights Movement, through the University of Illinois Press. Dr. McKerley is a member of the faculty of the University of Maryland in College Park, where he is a faculty research associate and assistant editor of the Freedmen and Southern Society Project.

Pictured here see John and his wife Heather after his dissertation defense.

Congratulations, John!

Study Nazi Germany in Germany: Global Studies/History Class Spring 2010

In May 2010, Dr. Molly Johnson will take UAHuntsville students to Germany as part of a course entitled "Berlin, Nuremberg, Munich: Legacies of the Third Reich." Participating students can get 3 hours of either History 399 or Global Studies 199 credit. In consultation with the instructor, students can also develop 400, 500, and 600-level credit options.

The course will explore three cities integral to the history of Nazi Germany: Munich (the “capital of the movement”), Nuremberg (site of the Nazi Party rallies), and Berlin (official capital of the Third Reich).

The course will begin during the spring semester with instruction once a week at UAHuntsville and will end with a two-week trip to Germany from May 9 to May 22.

The course has three objectives. First, while in Huntsville, students will learn about the rise and fall of Nazism in Germany. Second, while in Germany, students will analyze the “aestheticization of politics” in Nazi Germany by viewing Nazi architecture and visiting the sites of Party rallies and parades. Third, also while in Germany, students will examine how the cities of Munich, Nuremberg, and Berlin reflect the history of the Nazi period today, with particular focus on memorials and monuments.



If you would like more information, please contact Dr. Molly Johnson at molly.johnson@uah.edu or the Global Studies Program at globalstudies@uah.edu.

There will also be an informational session on Friday October 2 at 1:30 p.m. in Roberts Hall 423 featuring free German desserts from Hildegard's!



Pictured here see photos of UAHuntsville students who took this class in 2008. The first photo features the group at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, and the second and third photos feature several students at the Olympic Park in Munich and the Burg fortress in Nuremberg.

History Channel Awards Grant to John Kvach and Community Partners

Dr. John Kvach recently learned that that the History Channel has awarded him
and his community partners a grant to pursue a project studying local participation in the Civil War.

The purpose of the grant is to enable the creation of an online historical resource and exhibit area that preserves the public and private memories of Civil War-era individuals who lived in Madison County, Alabama, between 1861 and 1865. Tenth grade students from Huntsville High School (HHS), in conjunction with upper-level undergraduate and graduate history students from the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), will conduct primary source research in the Special Collections
Department of the Huntsville/Madison County Public Library.

This research will be used to create a website from which the public can read and explore period documents such as diaries, letters, and photographs; explore their community's involvement in the Civil War; and challenge individuals to adopt, research, and post their findings on a Civil War-era individual from Madison County. This project will be both the intellectual foundation and public portal for Madison County's planned commemoration of the sesquicentennial of the Civil War that begins in 2011.

As part of its overall mission to preserve and engage local history, the Huntsville/Madison County Historical Society (HMCHS) will oversee the project. Professional historians and archivists will guide students in the preservation, interpretation, and digitization of these records during the 2009-2010 school year. At the end of the school year, a week-long summer institute, sponsored by the UAH and HMCHS, will allow students to bring their individual projects together and collectively create an online resource dedicated to the preservation of local Civil War history within the broader context of state, regional, and national histories.

The project is an important step in the development of the UAH Huntsville History Department's Public History offerings, and will involve UAH history students and several community organizations, including Huntsville High School, the Huntsville/Madison County istorical Society, the Huntsville/Madison County Public Library, and the Railroad Depot Museum.

Congratulations to Dr. Kvach and the organizations that partnered with him!

Molly Johnson Awarded Tenure & Promotion

The Department is pleased to announce that UAH awarded Dr. Molly Johnson tenure this past spring and promoted her to associate professor. Molly specializes in the history of contemporary Germany and this past fall published a book, Training Socialist Citizens: Sports and the State in East Germany. Since coming to the university, she has taught 11 courses, and two of those classes included travel to Germany. Her peers acknowledged her classroom prowess and popularity by awarding her a UAH Foundation Distinguished Teaching Award in 2007. Loved and respected by her colleagues and students, Molly greatly deserves her new status. Congratulations Dr. Johnson!

Publication by Amanda Ringer, New Graduate Student in History

Amanda Ringer, a new graduate student in the history department, recently had an article published in The Graybeards, a national magazine dedicated to preserving the memory of the Korean War. “Children, Closure, and Korea” is a personal story about her grandfather’s return to Seoul fifty-five years after serving in the Korean War. Amanda reflects on her own feelings as she watched her grandfather confront and explore his past.

With a law degree from the University of Mississippi and additional graduate work at the University of the South, Amanda hopes to blend her prior experiences with her passion for history. She will focus on southern history while at UAHuntsville.

Congratulations on the article, Amanda, and good luck in your future studies!

Student Newspaper Profiles Two History Majors on "Balancing College, Kids, and Life"

The Exponent, UAHuntsville's student newspaper, recently featured an article profiling History majors and UAH students Veronica Ferreira and Dawn Suiter, both of whom have studied full-time at UAHuntsville while also raising children. History major Sarah Fisher wrote the article.

Veronica has majors in History and in Sociology and a minor in Women's Studies, and she plans to graduate in Spring 2010. Dawn majored in Secondary Education Social Science and has now completed all requirements and will graduate in August.

Please click here -- http://exponent.uah.edu/?p=500 -- to read the interview with Dawn and Veronica.



The first picture above is of Dawn with her husband Jerry and children Geoffrey, Megan, and Amanda. The second picture is of Veronica with her four children, Karley, Timmy, Lilian, and Cecelia.

Germans Visit Summer Class

On Wednesday June 17, 2009, three citizens of Germany -- who grew up in communist East Germany and who had just begun their university studies when the wall came down in 1989 -- participated in a panel discussion in Dr. Molly Johnson's summer class, History 479/579, "Europe in the Twentieth Century: Special Focus, The Cold War, 1945-1991."

Pictured here from left to right see Jana Sachsinger, Katrin Rebiger, and Bill Rebiger. (Katrin and Bill's son Simon was an exchange student at Huntsville High School in 2008-2009.)

UAH students asked the panelists a wide range of questions pertaining to topics as varied as the Stasi (the East German secret police), the Free German Youth organization, their views of the positives as well as the negatives of East German communism, their participation in resistance activities and demonstrations in 1989, their memories of shortages of consumer goods in East German times, the phenomenon of nostalgia for East German communism, etc. Bill Rebiger commented afterwards to Dr. Johnson that he was extremely impressed by the questions the students raised. Hurray for UAH students!

Many thanks to Jana, Katrin, and Bill for sharing their insights and experiences and enriching the class experience for all students.

Memorable Travel to Rome for Dr. Richard Gerberding's Course on "Rome: The Eternal City"

From Thursday May 14 to Monday June 1 2009, thirteen History students, Classical Studies students, and students representing other UAH majors traveled to Rome, Italy, as part of Dr. Richard Gerberding's Global Studies 199/History 399 course on "Rome: The Eternal City." This is the fourth time Dr. Gerberding has offered this course for UAH students, and it was once again a resounding success.

After a semester's worth of lectures in Huntsville, students benefited from additional lectures in Rome as well as the opportunity to see and interpret historical sites for themselves, including: St. Peter's Basilica; the Roman Forum; the Palatine; the Coliseum; the tomb of Augustus; the Ara Pacis; the Circus Maximus; the Catacombs; the Parthenon; the Basilica of Maxentius/Constantine; the Capitoline Museum; the church of San Clemente; the Castelo Sant Angelo; Santa Maria Maggiore; the Villa; the Vatican Museums and St. Peters; the Villa Borghese; Piazza Navona; the Victor Immanuel Monument; Mussolini’s Sports Stadium (Foro Italico); and the Milvian Bridge. Students also took excursions to Pompeii, Capri, and Florence.



Pictured here are two groups of students in Rome, one group next to the Trevi Fountain and another group on the way to the Opera.

The History Department is delighted these students got to experience such an amazing opportunity and encourages all History majors and minors to consider future Global Studies/History courses.

Three UAH History/Education Students Participate in Workshop on Teaching the Holocaust

On Friday May 8, 2009, three UAH History/Education students -- Kim Willis, John Milling, and Eddie Kimbrough -- participated in "Echoes and Reflections: A Multimedia Curriculum on the Holocaust," a Continuing Education workshop held at Athens State University for area teachers and teachers-to-be. The workshop was organized by the Anti-Defamation League, the USC Shoah Foundation Institute for Visual History and Education, and Yad Vashem Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority, with funding from Dana and Yossie Hollander and the Braun Holocaust Institute-Glick Center for Holocaust Studies.

Students participated in six hours of workshops and also received extensive curricular material tied to Alabama Education Standards, including multiple lesson plans on themes as varied as Anti-Semitism, the Ghettos, Jewish Resistance, and Children. Participants also discussed innovative ways of using literature courses as well as history courses to teach the Holocaust.

Particularly impressive to participant John Milling were the oral interviews that were done for the project. According to John, "They are a great primary source. It is fascinating to see the emotions people have and the intricate details people remember after more than sixty years. During their conversations, you can see on their faces that they are reliving their past in their memory. It is very sad to see how they are still affected by those events. That is something you miss by merely reading a personal account."

Pictured here are John and Kim with a copy of the curriculum materials they received at the workshop.

The history department commends Kim, John, and Eddie for seeking out this opportunity and hopes future History/Education students will also participate in similar workshops.

Annual History Research Journal Now Available

The History Department is pleased to announce the publication of the 2009 edition of "A Journal of Graduate and Undergraduate Research in History." The Journal features the papers prepared by students enrolled in Dr. Andrew Dunar's senior seminar course (History 490 and History 590) in spring 2009.

The prize winning papers, based on a vote by seminar participants, were:
-- "Camaraderie or Competition: Dissension Between the National Japanese American Citizens’ League and its Seattle Chapter in the Struggle for Redress" by Charity Ethridge
-- "Tense Theology in a Holy Hierarchy: Liberation Theology Versus The Vatican" by Sarah Fisher
-- "Frances Cabaniss Roberts: Teacher and Historian" by Charles Westbrook

The remaining papers were prepared by William Bailey, Christina Barnett, Ruth Behling, Alyson Buck, Arthur Harrison, Rachel Hillman, Eddie Kimbrough, Jonathon Moore, Jonathan Neely, Craig Noneman, Elizabeth Simmons, Elisabeth Spalding, Casey Smith, and Chris Weed.

Congratulations to all students for completing the very demanding senior seminar class. Don't forget to pick up your copy of the Journal in Roberts Hall 409!

Congratulations to Svetlana Jovanov for MA Thesis, "Yugoslav-American Relationships during the Truman Presidency"

The history department is happy to congratulate Svetlana Jovanov on completing and defending her MA thesis entitled "Yugoslav-American Relationships during the Truman Presidency: Truman’s Eggs and Tito’s Separate Road."

According to Svetlana's abstract, "This study addresses the historical, political, military, and economic issues that established the character of the relationship between the United States and Yugoslavia during the Truman presidency. This relationship faced great challenges after the end of the World War II. Although the American government had been supportive during the war, it expressed concerns about Tito’s communism and his loyalty to Stalin after the war. The approach of the American government toward Yugoslavia changed after the Cominform’s expulsion of Yugoslavia in June 1948 and as a result of the Kremlin’s desire to force Yugoslavia down to the level of the occupied East European countries. After overcoming initial obstacles, the Yugoslav-American relationship became generally positive and pragmatic. American aid enabled Yugoslavia to survive as an independent socialist country, following its own socialist path. The historical material used in this study relies on sources from both countries, and presents motives that led the American and Yugoslav governments to overcome initial obstacles and develop a positive relationship."

Pictured here see Svetlana on Honors Day 2009 with her MA thesis advisor, Dr. Andy Dunar. Svetlana received the department's top award for a graduate student on Honors Day.

Congratulations to Whitney Snow on MA Thesis "The Cotton Mills of Huntsville"

The history department is proud to commend recent MA graduate Whitney Snow on completely one of the department's two successfully defended MA theses for academic year 2008-2009. Whitney's thesis was entitled, "The Cotton Mills of Huntsville." According to Whitney's abstract: "The textile industry fueled industrial, economic, and cultural growth in the city of Huntsville, Alabama. The Huntsville industry, a
microcosm of the Southern textile industry, maintained reactionary tendencies while becoming an agent of change. Its mills, though dependent on Northern funds, became regional, national, and international competitors. Mills assisted in the transition from farm to factory by providing employment to the masses, implementing corporate welfare, and fostering village life. The textile industry and its accompanying culture shaped both Huntsville and the South."

Whitney is now working towards a PhD in history in the field of "New South" at Mississippi State University. Congrats, Whitney!

Congratulations to Our Recent Graduates

The History Department is pleased to congratulate our students who graduated from the University of Alabama in Huntsville with BA and MA degrees in December 2008 and May 2009.

In December 2008, Whitney Snow graduated with an MA degree in history, and James Bedsole, Jenna Fanning, Adam Keenum, Dillon Lee, and Stephanie Pinto graduated with BA degrees in history.

In May 2009, Greg Hughes, Svetlana Jovanov, and Carl David Stanford graduated with MA degrees in history, and Ruth Behling, Jeremy Garrett, Stanley Arthur Harrison, Christine McIntosh, Geoffrey Michael, Craig Noneman, Mosheda Pettus, Joseph Richardson, and Jennifer Staton graduated with BA degrees in history.

We are very proud of all of our graduates, and we wish you all the best in your future endeavors. Please stay in touch with the history department!

Congratulations to Chad Pearson on Dissertation Award

The department is pleased to congratulate Chad Pearson on international recognition for his dissertation, completed at SUNY-Albany in 2008, on "’Organize and Fight’: Communities, Employers, and Open-Shop Movements, 1890-1920." The Labor History journal chose Chad's dissertation as one of the best three dissertations in labor history for the year, giving it an "honorable mention."

Chad teaches world history and western civilization courses and US history survey courses at UAH and at Calhoun Community College. He is also teaching an upper-level course on US Labor History at UAH in the fall 2009 semester.

"Organize and Fight" explores organized employers and anti-union activism in three cities: Cleveland, Ohio, Buffalo, NY, and Worcester, Massachusetts. He points out that hundreds of employers were active movement-builders, union-busters, and political activists. In the study, he highlights the difficulties of building union-busting associations, the tensions between employer-organizers and rank-and-file members, the drama of breaking strikes and busting unions, and the ways in which employers used public relations in their struggles. This work seeks to explain the chief reasons why organized labor failed to achieve many of its goals during the so-called Progressive Era.

Chad is currently revising the dissertation and has begun working on a new chapter on organized employers and open-shoppery (a philosophy that insists that workers have the right to refuse to join labor unions) in Huntsville and Chattanooga.

History Major Sarah Fisher Wins a Student Government Association Student Leadership Award

History major Sarah Fisher, who is also double majoring in Political Science and has a minor in Sociology, was awarded a Student Leadership Award at the Student Government Association annual awards dinner Monday April 20.

Sarah was nominated and won the award primarily for her successful work as a Peer Mentor in the Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) program sponsored by the Student Success Center at UAH. As a PASS tutor for 5 semesters, Sarah has attended the survey courses of 4 different history professors and organized thrice weekly break-out sessions with enrolled students to review course concepts and develop study skills. Dr. Diana Bell, director of the Student Success Center, has chosen Sarah to help coordinate and supervise PASS mentors in Academic Year 2009-2010.

Sarah is also about to start a co-op internship with the Defense Acquisition University (DAU) here in Huntsville. She hopes to work for the government after her graduation in Spring 2010.

Congratulations, Sarah!

Another Successful Liberal Arts Tournament Day

Congratulations to Bev Gentry, event coordinator for the History Department, and to all of the students who participated in and won awards at the 2009 Liberal Arts Tournament Day on April 16, 2009. Students from area high schools, including Randolph, Grissom, Ardmore, Johnson, Catholic, Covenant Christian Academy, Buckhorn, Athens, and Brewer/Falkville, traveled to campus to compete in the categories of US History, World History, Art, and Government. In addition to participating in the competition, visiting high school students found out information about attending UAHuntsville and enjoyed a good lunch.



Total competitors in the two History categories were 130 students. Stephen Thrasher of Grissom High won the US History award and Marshall Moore of Grissom High won the World History award.

We were delighted to welcome so many high school students to UAHuntsville. Special thanks to Bev Gentry for all the hard work that made this successful event possible!

History Major Ruth Behling Selected for FBI Internship

Congratulations are in order for History major Ruth Behling, who has won a "Scholastic Honors Internship" with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). She will graduate from UAH in May 2009, and she will complete the Scholastic Honors Internship from June 8, 2009 to August 14, 2009 in Washington, DC.

Ruth has worked very hard during her years at UAH. In addition to completing a History major, she has also completed minors in Art History and Global Studies. Ruth is also a member of the Phi Alpha Theta history honorary. The FBI internship is also a clear marker of Ruth's persistence. As she stated, "When I recieved word that I was second place I stayed with the application process. Then I received word I actually received a position. This was not another "almost" in my life but an actual opportunity to do something different." Ruth hopes that the internship "will open doors for me to venture into and help me figure out what I want to do for the rest of my life." She also stated that, "With this internship I can learn how I can stop the corruption that is prevalant in our nation."

We are so happy for you, Ruth, and looking forward to hearing about your experiences!

Congratulations to MA Alum Thomas Reidy

The history faculty at UAH were pleased to hear recently that our MA alum, Thomas Reidy, who is pursuing a PhD in American history at the University of Alabama, has received the Frank Lawrence Owsley Memorial Scholarship. This scholarship is given annually to a UA Grad student who demonstrates superior competency in American History.

Tom was also asked to and will begin working on a documentary for PBS about the lives of Clifford and Virginia Durr. The Durrs were an Alabama couple. They were New Dealers who became deeply committed to Civil Rights and are the subjects of several books.

We are also pleased that Tom will be rejoining us in Fall 2008 to teach two sections of History 103, the first half of the world history sequence.

It is nice to see our alumni doing so well!

Congratulations to History Major Jennifer Staton, Winner of a Fulbright Fellowship!

The History Department is proud to celebrate the achievement of Jennifer Staton, who just received word that she has won a Fulbright fellowship to teach English in Germany during Academic Year 2009-2010. The fellowship will cover almost all of her expenses. She will be placed at a high school and will assist an English teaching inside and outside the classroom.

This prestigious honor is the culmination of years of hard work at UAH. In addition to majoring in History, Jennifer has completed a minor in English and has also taken several courses in German. She has also developed her teaching skills by working as a tutor in the Writing Center and in the Peer Assisted Study Session program led by the Student Success Center. Jennifer also spent two weeks in Germany in May 2008 as part of a Global Studies/History course on Nazi Germany.

In addition to fulfilling her responsibilities as a teaching assistant and cultural ambassador, Jennifer will also have the chance to travel, visit art museums, and pursue her interests in early modern German and English history by visiting libraries and archives.

Pictured here see two photographs of Jennifer taken in Germany in May 2008, one picturing her with a painting by Johannes Vermeer in the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin and a second featuring her in the Olympic Stadium in Berlin.

Congratulations, Jennifer. We are proud of you and wish you all the best!

Congratulations to Student Award Winners!

On Tuesday, April 8, UAH Huntsville had its annual "Honors Day," where it celebrated student award winners for the year.

The History Department is proud to congratulate five student winners. Pictured here, see Joseph Richardson, winner of the new Dr. John Rison Jones Award in Southern History (sponsored by the Huntsville-Madison County Historical Society); Jennifer Staton, winner of the department's Outstanding Undergraduate Achievement Award; Svetlana Jovanov, winner of the department's Outstanding Graduate Achievement Award; Craig Noneman, winner of the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of Alabama History Essay Award; and Veronica Ferreira, winner of the Colonel Walter Aston Chapter of the Colonial Dames of the XVII Century History Award.

History students received commendation in other departments, too. Veronica Ferreira and Jennifer Staton both received Women's Studies honors, Veronica as Outstanding Student and Jennifer as second-place winner in the Upper-Division Essay Contest. History major Sarah Fisher also received second-place in the Lower-Division Essay Contest. Sarah, a double major in Political Science, also received the Outstanding Undergraduate Student Award for the Political Science Department.

We are very proud of our outstanding students. Congratulations to you all!

Congratulations to New Phi Alpha Theta Inductees

On Friday April 3, 2009, the Tau Omega chapter of the Phi Alpha Theta history honorary inducted seven new members, all of whom had met demanding eligibility criteria in their history classes and other coursework at UAH.

Dr. Richard Gerberding offered up his Castle for the ceremony, and new inductees and their family members joined the history department faculty and several already-inducted members for a lovely early spring evening of conversation, casual hors d'oeuvres, and tours of the Castle building and grounds.

Pictured here see new inductees Matthew Menarchek, John Milling, Bill Bailey, and Josh Riddle. Also inducted but unable to attend the ceremony were Derrick Chatterton, Nate Gibson, and Reeves Jordan.

Also pictured are new members with several already-inducted members in attendance, including Greg Hughes, Thomas Bockhorn, Dawn Suiter, Elisabeth Spalding, and Joseph Richardson.

Congratulations to all our new inductees!

Congratulations to the Society for Ancient Languages on a Successful Classics Week 2009

The History Department would like to commend the Society for Ancient Languages and the Classical Studies Program for yet another successful Classics Week.

This year, Classics Week featured Professor Robert Kaster, Professor of Classics and Kennedy Foundation Professor of Latin at Princeton University. Kaster gave two lectures on Friday, February 27, one on "Roman Values and Virtues," and another on "Cicero in Mourning."



Professor Kaster also spent much time conversing with students in the Society for Ancient Languages over meals and visits to local sites. The highlight of Professor Kaster's visit was the annual Convivium at Dr. Richard Gerberding's Castle, where current and former members of the Society for Ancient Languages as well as many supporters and friends gathered for an elegant evening of fine dining, intellectual stimulation, and a musical interlude provided by Vox Angelica.



Special thanks to Society member Joseph Richardson for documenting the event through his photography. Featured here are a select number of photographs, one featuring Professor Kaster during a public lecture; a second featuring students, photographed from above, gathered in the Great Hall of Dr. Gerberding's home; a third featuring students sitting at the table with Professor Kaster (with Society president and main event organizer Bill Bailey at the head of table with Professor Kaster to his side); and a fourth featuring Dr. Richard Gerberding, Director of the Classical Studies Program, together with Professor Kaster.

Phi Alpha Theta Members Present at Regional PAT Conference

On Saturday, February 7, four members of the Tau Omega chapter of the Phi Alpha Theta history honorary at UAHuntsville traveled to Livingston, Alabama, to present papers at the 2009 Regional Phi Alpha Theta Conference hosted by the University of West Alabama.

Thomas Bockhorn presented a paper on "How the Children Saw It: James Hamilton Couper, Bennet Barrow, and Slavery." Jamie Farrell presented a paper on "Three Ways of Looking: Three Different Visual Representations of the Prostitute in Nineteenth Century Europe." Elisabeth Spalding presented on "Lesbian Persecution under the Third Reich." Sarah Fisher presented on "Vague Condemnations and a Vindicated Conscience: Pius XII and the Holocaust," for which she won a "Best Paper" prize. Faculty Advisor Molly Johnson accompanied the students and moderated a panel on U.S. Labor History.

We are very proud of our students and their hard work preparing for and participating in the PAT conference. They did us proud!

Pictured here see Thomas, Jamie, Sarah, and Elisabeth relaxing outside after their presentations. See also Jamie, Sarah, and Elisabeth -- with moderator Joe Frazer from Judson College -- before their presentations.

New Article by Professor Emeritus Johanna Shields

Retirement sure hasn't slowed down the scholarly efforts of Johanna Shields! She has recently published an article, "The Dynamics of Southern Friendship in the Civil
War Novels of Augusta Evans and Jeremiah Clemens," in Mississippi Quarterly, 60
(Spring 2007), 305-33.

Congratulations, Johanna. We hope we will remain so productive over the years!

Congratulations to Sandra Mendiola

We are pleased to announce that first year faculty member Dr. Sandra Mendiola has received a UAH Research Mini-Grant for $4,651.00 and a UAH Humanities Center Faculty Research Grant of $2165.00 to pursue research on "Mexico's 'Dirty War' on Street Vendors, 1973-1986" in Puebla and Mexico City, Mexico, in Summer 2009. In Mexico City, she will visit the General National Archive and the National Autonomous University's newspapers collection, and in Puebla, she will also conduct oral interviews with female street vendors. This research will contribute to Sandra's book manuscript, a revision of her doctoral dissertation, tentatively entitled "Marketers, Street Vendors, and Politics in Mexico."

Sandra has also been invited to be the featured scholar at a February meeting of the Newberry Library in Chicago. Her pre-circulated paper on the state repression that street vendors faced as they formed a militant union that fought for access to public spaces will be the sole subject of discussion for organizers and participants.

Pictured here see Sandra conducting an oral history interview during her dissertation research.

The History Department is delighted that Sandra is off to such a good start and congratulations her on her early successes!