Above: Graduating history majors and history secondary ed majors post with faculty members at the fall commencement ceremony. More photos from the commencement ceremony are included below.
Message from Dr. Tom Prasch, Chair
“Is this actually the end of history?” faux-asks the subtitle of Daniel Bessner’s New York Times editorial, “The Dangerous Decline of the Historical Profession” (14 January 2023). His clear answer is “yes,” pointing to a range of fraught conditions that beset historians today. These range from political controversies (like the fracas over The 1619 Project and state laws banning “divisive”—they may as well have just said “diverse”—content) to structural issues (the declining numbers of history majors, jobs, and tenure lines), from institutional issues (the declining state support for higher education coupled with the withering of grant funding for work in the humanities) to professional infighting (like the continued spatting at this year’s American Historical Association convention prompted by AHA President James Sweet’s tone-deaf published lament about the “presentism”—read political engagement and interest in issues of race and gender—of current history scholarship). “It’s the end of history. And the consequences will be significant,” Bessner concludes. He points to a future in which “Entire areas of our shared history will never be known because no one will receive a living wage to uncover and study them” and “history education will be left more and more in the hands of social media influencers, partisan hacks and others unconcerned with achieving a complex, empirically informed understanding of the past.” That would be, I think we historians can agree, a bad thing, worse even than the omitted compound-adjective hyphens and would-have-clarified missing Oxford comma of Bessner’s editorial.
And we can see parallels to Bessner’s argument in trends closer to home. The current reworking of General Education, now being undertaken at Washburn after having been mandated for schools under the Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR) umbrella, clearly imperils History credits more than almost any other discipline. Kansas state legislators, the Topeka Capitol Journal reports, have made clear their intent to crack down on the teaching of “Critical Race Theory” (as they understand it, or as ALEC told them to understand it) in Kansas schools, prompting queries in the KBOR system about whether it is being taught on their campuses. Again, History is the discipline mostly directly in the target hairs. And if we at Washburn are in better shape than Emporia State down the road—where History has been eliminated as a major—we are still a tenure-line position down from where we were a year ago, and still unable to put in place a full-time Geography professor, making do with adjuncts for now. On a campus filled this past year with interim positions, from the President down to assorted Deans (both CAS and Libraries), both clarity on goals and long-term planning are in rather short supply. A late-semester COVID spike contributed to the sense of unease.
But an “end of history,” really? That’s unlikely to happen. And a little history actually makes that point clear.
We have heard this one already, after all. As the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, Francis Fukuyama proclaimed as much in “The End of History?” (another faux-question there), an article in National Interest later expanded into a book (losing its question mark in the process), The End of History and the Last Man (1992). Fukuyama asserted that the fall of Soviet Communism ushered in an age in which “a remarkable consensus concerning the legitimacy of liberal democracy as a system of government … throughout the world” had established itself, as that system “conquered rival ideologies like hereditary monarchy, fascism, and most recently communism.” To be fair, few of those who read this argument as simple we-won-the-Cold-War Western triumphalism (or those, it might be said, who liked his title but didn’t really read his book) really engaged with Fukuyama’s deeply neo-Hegelian all-contradictions-resolved-through-dialectical-process premises: that what he was talking about was not history, as ordinary people (and all historians) understand it, but History (that “what had come to an end was not the occurrence of events, even large and great events, but History: that is, history understood as a single, coherent, evolutionary process, when taking into account all peoples in all times,” as he put it, without much showing that he was doing that at all). Still, at some years’ distance, it seems awfully difficult to find that “remarkable consensus” Fukuyama promised had arrived in ’89.
So no, history does not end, nor does the work of historians. And the best way to make that point: to keep doing history.
That, then, is what we’ve been up to. We have continued to maintain our core curriculum while also innovating with new classes (like Bruce Mactavish’s Black Liberation Movements course a couple summers ago, or the History of Colombia course Kim Morse is currently teaching, or the team-taught course Kelly Erby is co-teaching this spring in the new TEXTS program, or the History of Museums course I’ll be offering this coming fall). We have offered, through Phi Alpha Theta events, forums that provide historical context on current events, like those we have presented this past semester on abortion politics, the legacy of Mikhail Gorbachev, and how the evangelical Christian-nationalist Seven Mountains Mandate has spurred book-banning campaigns. We continue to do and to share our research, through publications, conferences, and campus presentations. And we have shepherded new historians into the flock, like the seven History students who graduated this fall. We keep doing history.
The Department Bids Fond Farewell to Fifty-Year-Old+ Office Suite Furniture
Over the summer, the Department decided to finally decommission its office suite furniture. According to Professor Emeritus Bill Wagnon, this furniture was part of the original furnishings of Henderson Learning Center when the building opened circa 1971. Generations of students, faculty, and staff have sat on this furniture to study, do homework, and most importantly, talk history and life. To commemorate its decades of service, Dr. Kim Morse put forth a call for alumni to come have a seat on the ugly, smelly (but surprisingly comfortable) couch one last time and have their picture taken. Of course, this also provided current faculty the lovely bonus of getting to see all these fantastic humans in person as part of the furniture's retirement party.
Adieu, Adieu, Thank You for Your Service
One last glimpse of the couch and chairs.
Phi Alpha Theta Forums
Phi Alpha Theta, the history honorary society, sponsored multiple forums this fall semester. Each forum was held in a hybrid format that included both in-person and virtual attendance options.
We had been talking in the department about putting together a forum on the history and politics of abortion rights from the time that Judge Alito’s draft opinion was leaked back in the spring, but that came too late in the semester to do anything about it then. By the time the fall semester began, we had much more to talk about: the Supreme Court’s final decision in Dodds, reversing the over-fifty-year-old precedent of Roe v. Wade, and the dramatic defeat of the constitutional amendment that would have eliminated protection of abortion rights in Kansas. In our forum, Tom Prasch critiqued Alito’s history, arguing that the justice misinterpreted the (rather archaic) English common law upon which he founded his argument. Kerry Wynn set out a timeline of abortion law in the United States, tracking laws making abortion illegal (in response to professionalization of medicine) after the 1850s, but also noting women’s continued recourse to (now illegal) abortion throughout the twentieth century. History alum and community activist Katie Wade discussed both the context of violent anti-abortion activism in recent decades and the ways in which groups organized to defeat the amendment. And law professor Cheryl Nelson Butler, insisting that such movements must be multiracial to succeed, reframed the discussion in terms of reproductive justice, while tracing a history from slavery forward to “welfare mom” stereotypes in which women of color were denied reproductive justice.
The passing at the end of August of Mikhail Gorbachev, the last Soviet leader (and, years later, a visitor to Lindsborg, Kansas), prompted our forum on his legacy, especially his key reform measures of glasnost and perestroika (openness and restructuring) and his role in the collapse of the Soviet Union. Tom Prasch opened the forum by providing historical context for his reform agenda, insisting on Gorbachev’s continued commitment to Communism, and noting the striking difference between his reception in the West and in the Soviet Union. Dmitri Nizovtsev of the School of Business had a dual role: on the one hand, as a professor in the School of Business, he provided insight into the economic conditions in the USSR at the time Gorbachev took power and the impact his reforms had on the Russian economy; on the other hand, as someone who grew up in the Soviet Union, he discussed his own recollections of the regime. Bob Beatty, chair of the Political Science Department, played tape clips of him asking parallel questions to both President Reagan, when Beatty was still a student, and Gorbachev, during his visit to Lindsborg; Reagan took it better. Finally, Maria Stover, Mass Media chair, joining the forum by Zoom, discussed East European press coverage both during and after Gorbachev’s regime, while also, as someone who grew up in a Warsaw Pact country, adding her own recollections of the era to Nizovtsev’s.
In October, Prasch resurrected a Department fan-favorite, his "Social history of the Vampire" lecture.
In the forum "The Seven Mountains Mandate: Christian Nationalism, Evangelical Prophecy, and the Rise of Book Banning and Burning," Alan Bearman finally found a way to make his work with books—he served as Dean of Libraries from 2008 to 2022, as some of you may have noticed—connect with his research field of the history of American religion. Bearman and Interim Dean of Libraries Sean Bird discussed the ways the Seven Mountains Mandate, a prophetic strand current in Christian-nationalist evangelical Protestantism, connects with the rising tide of book bannings and burnings that have targeted public and school libraries in recent years.
In October, when the long-awaited volumes finally arrived, we celebrated the publication of the two-volume encyclopedia The Americas, edited by Kim Morse, with a book launch, complete with book-cover-illustrated cake. The work consists of over 1,000 pages, and Morse’s editorial labors included recruiting and then corralling contributors for forty different essays covering countries of the Americas, in addition to penning the book’s introduction and essays on Puerto Rico and Venezuela, and co-writing the essay on the United States. Morse was joined at the launch by a number of her local contributors: Miguel Gonzalez-Abellas, Chair of Modern Languages, who had authored chapters on Cuba and Paraguay; History alum Bethany Mowry, who wrote the chapters on Barbados, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago; and Stephen Woody of Mabee Library, who co-authored the section on the U.S. The cake was delicious.
Dr. Tony Silvestri Presents International Brown Bag, Lecture "Seisún, Story, and Song: An Ichabod Abroad"
Tony Silvestri’s Sweet Sabbatical took him to the west of Ireland to study the country’s traditional music in context, to separate myths and realities of the form, and to listen to and play with traditional musicians at their seisúns. That’s a lot of time in the pubs (where else do you think they’d be playing?). At his talk at the International House, he shared details of his trip, provided background on Irish musical traditions, explored the interplay between tradition and innovation in the music, and sang a few songs, accompanying himself on concertina and even singing a cappella.
Seeking Stories and Mementos that Tell the History of Title IX at Washburn
2022 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the passage of Title IX, the federal civil rights law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in education programs or activities receiving federal funding. Title IX, in partnership with other equity laws, helped to break down barriers to education and athletic opportunities for women and girls.
In commemoration of Title IX, Mabee Library, in collaboration with the WU History Department and Title IX Office, is seeking stories from alumni, faculty, staff, and students about their experiences related to women’s athletics, education, and Title IX at Washburn. Please consider sharing your photos, mementos, and memories.
Dr. Tom Prasch Presents on Architectural History at International Brown Bag, "Thinking about the Alhambra: From Owen Jones to Now"
On Tom Prasch’s Sweet Sabbatical, he gave a paper at an academic conference in Portugal on how the Moorish palace Alhambra inspired Victorian architect/designer Owen Jones, and then he travelled to the south of Spain to let it inspire him a bit as well. His talk at the International House offered tidbits from both sides of the trip, sharing something of his work on Jones and the Alhambra, and then discussing how Moorish ornamentalism interpenetrates later Andalusian styles in places like the cathedral and aristocratic palaces of Seville.
Students & Faculty Research & Present on the History of Inclusion at Washburn
Washburn University, like other universities, experiences instances of racism every year. Institutional narratives focused on the school’s abolitionist founders don’t provide context for understanding such events.
With support from Student Life and the Campus Climate Team, a collection of Washburn faculty, staff, and students began a historical study of the experiences of students of color on campus, aiming to augment established discourse as a way to move forward.
The project team discussed its goals, preliminary findings and recommendations for future work at the 2022 Michael Tilford Conference for Diversity and Multiculturalism, held October 6–7 at Washburn. Expect to hear more abut this project in future newsletters. Pictured here are team members Teresa Leslie-Canty, Valerie Mendoza, Kerry Wynn, Bruce Mactavish, Kelly Erby, Megan Dorantes, Jessie Revell, Charlize Easter, Brand Peterson, and Carlos Cedillo-Silva.
John Brown Course & Field Trips, Reprised
This fall, Professor Kelly Erby reprised her upper-division course examining radical abolitionist John Brown. Through close readings of primary sources, students investigated Brown as a family and businessman, in addition to a committed and, eventually, militant abolitionist. Students also used the methods of cultural biography to understand Brown as a man of his time, delving into political, literary, and religious movements of the nineteenth century. The final portion of the course considered Brown’s place in America’s historical memory and the ways in which his story has been appropriated in the 150 years since his execution.
Thanks to support from the Department of History and the Center for Kansas Studies, students enjoyed numerous opportunities to take their learning out of the traditional classroom with fieldtrips to historic sites, including the John and Mary Jane Ritchie House in Topeka, the John Brown Museum in Osawatomie, and the Kansas State Capitol. History Department faculty member Dr. Bruce Mactavish also accompanied the class to Osawatomie and led the way in providing a brief detour to the Pottawatomie Creek area, where Brown and a posse of men executed five proslavery settlers. In addition, Kerry Altenbernd, who performs first-person interpretations of Brown, paid Dr. Erby’s class a visit early in the semester.
Fall Historical Movie Nights
Historical Movie Nights took an accidentally commemorative turn this semester. Two of our films commemorated deaths (Queen Elizabeth II’s, Jean Luc Godard’s), another marked an anniversary (our hundred-year anniversary screening of Nosferatu). In addition, we screened Vera Drake to help set up our forum on abortion rights, the Spanish-language Dracula just because it was a good story and a new transfer was available (and, yes, we did get a little carried away with vampires this year, but sometimes one just has to), and of course Holy Grail because you always have to end with Monty Python (or Mel Brooks).
Spring 2023 Upper-Division Course Offerings
HI 300A-Medieval Experience: This course covers the history and intellectual culture of the European Middle Ages (c. AD 500-1300) but with a significant twist: the course will be conducted as if it were being taught at a European university in the 13th century. Each class meeting will be a combination of the monastic lecture and scholastic debate methods of medieval education. Several guest speakers will illustrate medieval professions, crafts and culture. Students and instructor will wear proper academic regalia at all times. Readings include primary and select secondary sources presented in a medieval format-a single manuscript codex on reserve in the library. Students will demonstrate their mastery in debates, and through in-class exams and prepared essays. Silvestri (2:30-3:45 MW)
HI 343A-The European Reformation: A survey of the history and theology of the Magisterial, Radical, and Roman Catholic Reformation movements in the early-sixteenth century, with particular emphasis on the religious ideas and practices of leading reformers such as Luther, Zwingli, Calvin, and Ignatius Loyola. Reformation ideas will be examined within the context of the experiences of these principal figures and of the public they addressed and by whom they were interpreted. The Reformation will be considered in relation to the cultural, social, economic, and political changes of the early modern period. Bearman (9:00-9:50 MWF)
Hl-370A-Modern Africa, c.1700-Present:Covers the basic development in sub-Saharan African history. Begins with the intensification of slave trading, widening trade net-works within Africa and linking Africa to the Atlantic world, and continues with the New Imperialist conquest of Africa and its consequences from 19th century on. Closes with the rise of nationalist movements, decolonization and formation of independent states in Africa. Prasch (1:00-2:15 TR)
HI 300C-Colombia: Using the WUmester theme of Health and Healing, this course will explore concepts of conflict, violence, and national healing in Colombian history. In the process the course will analyze intersections of class, ethnicity, race, gender, and regional identity in Colombian history. The course will be reading and discussion intensive. Students will write review essays of primary and secondary sources as well as complete a group research project that will deconstruct the recently released Truth and Reconciliation Report. Study abroad in Colombia during Spring Break is an option not required for the course. Morse (1-2:15MW)
HI 322A-Kansas History: A comprehensive survey beginning with the land itself and its earliest inhabitants and ending with an overview of the state today. Political and economic aspects of the state's development are covered, but there is also an emphasis on social and cultural history. Analysis of the evolutionary and dramatic changes in agriculture, education, transportation, manufacturing, and the social fabric lead to a better understanding of the state's history. Several papers and essay exams. Mactavish (11: 00-12: 15 TR)
HI 308VA-Making of Modern America: The history of the United States from the end of Reconstruction to World War I. Course examines social, political and economic changes. Topics covered include industrialization and its effects, popular culture, reform movements, and immigration. Online course, taught in the first :8 weeks of the semester. Wynn (ONLINE)
Washburn Screening of Survivors of the Holocaust
When the Washburn Filmmakers Association screened Alan Holzman's Survivors of the Holocaust in November, they followed it with a discussion with director Alan Holzman (via Zoom) and Professors Tom Prasch and Matt Nyquist (Mass Media). The discussion was broadcast on FB live so it is still available:
WUmester 2023
The Department is looking forward to participating again this spring in Washburn's WUmester, an initiative that seeks to engage the entire WU community in a cross-disciplinary learning experience on timely subjects and help students see the connections between the subjects they study in the classroom and real-world debates and problems. WUmester 2023 will help us explore key contemporary problems and debates, from physical health and healing as we navigate an endemic state of COVID-19, to the health of our democracy and healing of our national discourse; from financial health and healing amidst an epidemic of student loan debt, to environmental health and the healing of our planet.
We will report on all the ways the Department gets involved in WUmester in our spring newsletter. For now, mark your calendar for the WUmester keynote event, a community conversation with Dr. Joy DeGruy on March 22 at 6 PM. Dr. DeGruy's research focus on confronting and healing from the trauma and legacies of racism, violence, and American chattel slavery.
Missing Marissa
The History Department lost one of our finest on September 20, 2022. Marissa Mannell graduated in May 2016 with her BA in History and minor in Spanish. That says a bit about Marissa. She was intensely intellectually and internationally curious, not afraid of challenge. During her time with us she studied abroad three times: twice in Japan and once in Spain. In classes she asked perceptive and thoughtful questions, always with the goal of understanding all she could. As the proper history person she was, each question led to more questions about why the world was as it was and is as it is. She always asked why. She was always becoming.
Marissa’s heart was a social-justice heart. She was deeply committed to making the world around her better, to service to all. She was actively involved with STAND, a social-justice student organization, and remained active in many social justice causes after her Washburn undergraduate years. Marissa became a mama to her beloved Ryan while a student and created another student organization for parents of young children. When Marissa passed, she was pursuing a graduate degree in Social Work so she could turn her commitment to service, families, and social justice into a profession.
More important than all of that, Marissa was joy. The History Department became her home away from home, so much so that she brought a blanket for naps – a blanket that is still here for anyone who needs it. We loved having her here. She was a special person at the heart of a unique cohort of students who blessed us with their presence for a few years. The conversations in the Department, between the offices and the Ugly Furniture in the common area, ranged from the benign to the profound with stops at Princess Bride, Monty Python, and Mel Brooks. We learned a lot together. We laughed a lot together. We took care of each other.
A couple years ago Marissa gave me a canvas she painted that says “We study history so that we can know the past, engage in the present, and impact the future.” Marissa lived those words every day. She will always live in what we do and through all of those she changed. We miss her dearly and love her so. --contributed by Dr. Kim Morse
Fall 2022 Commencement
The Department was proud to cheer loudly at commencement as graduating seniors walked across the stage. Below are pictures from before the ceremony began.
Connect with us on Twitter (@wuhistory), Instagram (@HistoryBods), & Facebook (@ WashburnUniversityHistory).
The Washburn Department of History & Geography wishes you a healthy and joyous new year!
Credits:
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