Indiana State University
      The History Department's
             Annual Newsletter

From the Chair

In 2000-2001, we made significant progress in implementing our Five-Year Plan, reviewing and revising our undergraduate Liberal Arts and Social Studies Education majors/minors.  This revision included the reduction in hours required for the major (from 41 to 39), elimination of the History 490 and 491 requirement, addition of eight courses, deletion of 43 courses that were on the books but not taught (with the banking of nine others), the creation of a Wider World category, and establishment of a cross-cultural Mediterranean World concentration.  Our aim was to produce a broad-based history program that contains greater choice for students, provides more flexibility in course offerings, and reflects the interests of our new faculty.  We also concluded a student-faculty exchange agreement with the University of Malta (unique to ISU), sent a faculty member (Tim Hawkins) to Malta, and chose our first student representative.  Stephen Taylor will be spending spring semester 2002 at the University of Malta, and Anita Cardona will be at ISU for the fall 2001.

The History Department continued the process of renewing its ranks, hiring two excellent candidates in tenure-track appointments.  All my colleagues join me in welcoming Jim Genova and Tuska Benes to our Afamily.@  They join me, too, in thanking our search committees and their chairs, Don Layton and Gale Christianson for conscientious work.  We wish also to thank Carolyn Greenwalt, our efficient departmental staff person, who handled all the paperwork and who often went beyond the call of duty.

This year, two of our faculty members received important recognition.  Bob Clouse received the Faculty Distinguished Service Award, and Ann Chirhart=s article on Beulah Rucker won Honorable Mention from the Oral History Association for best article published in 1999.

2000 was a good year for scholarship in our Department, with three new books, two re-publications of books, seven journal articles and book chapters, nine articles in newspapers, encyclopedias and dictionaries, six book reviews, and twenty-seven presentations at conferences, workshops, and other venues.

It is also my pleasure to report success in the area of our travel and research allocations.  Ten research projects received funding; and thirteen conference papers were funded.

Looking ahead, the Department would like to welcome our new graduate students, Michael Lushbaugh (an ISU graduate) and Laura Bergstrom (a St. Mary-of-the-Woods graduate).  They will join returning students Micki Morahn, Lisa Henson, Van

Hutchison, Tammy Loudermilk, Judy Myers, Bill Treadway, Kathleen Isaacson, John Andrews, and Jonathan Stevens.

The Office has succeeded in obtaining a risograph machine which will take some of the pressure off our usage of the copy machine.

In closing, I would like to thank all of my colleagues for their support during my second year as Chair.  I am ever more committed to doing the best possible job as your Chairperson.   

Enrollments

In 2000-2001, the Department experienced record enrollments for fall (dropping slightly in the spring semester), while maintaining its commitment to a favorable professor-student classroom ratio.  In fall, 2167 students were enrolled (6455 SCH); in spring, the figure was 1872 (5567 SCH).  Social Studies majors numbered 129,  providing about 70 percent of our total majors.  Twelve graduate students were enrolled during 2000-2001. 

Undergraduate/Graduate Awards

The Gemmecke Award for the outstanding senior was awarded to Shannon Maxwell.  The Harr Award for the outstanding junior was presented to both Stephen Taylor.  The DAR Award to an undergraduate with a good performance in US history went to Brandon Halleck.  The Bryant Spann Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Alice Osburn.  The Roll Award, presented to the outstanding graduate student, went to Aaron Gangross. 

Alum News

Aaron Gangross (2001) had an article published in a scholarly work.

Jan Doolittle (1996, M.A. in Labor and Social Movements Specialization) is teaching at Grinnell.

Speakers

This year, the Department hosted three speakers, Professor Peter Guardino (Indiana University), Mary Pattison (Tibetan Cultural Center, Bloomington IN), and Patrick Maney (University of South Carolina).

Parties

The Fall Welcome Back Party for faculty and graduate students was held at the Hunter residence on September 16.  

Professional Activities

(Publications listed are those for the calendar year 2000.) 

Ann Chirhart was very active in several departmental and university committees, and was also involved in the Women=s Studies program. She received Honorable Mention for best article published in 1999 from the Oral History Association for AGardens= of Education: Beulah Rucker and African American Culture in the Twentieth Century Georgia Upcountry@ in Georgia Historical Quarterly the Winter 1998. 

Gale E. Christianson=s book Fox at the Wood=s Edge: A Biography of Loren Eiseley  was reprinted this year and his book Greenhouse: The 200-Years Story of Global Warming came out in paperback.   Gale gave scores of radio, television, internet, and newspaper interviews regarding his book Greenhouse.  Gale published one article,AFrom Benevolence to Menace: An Historian=s Biography of Global Warming,@ in Earth Matters, Winter 2000, and reviewed one book.   He made six conference and public presentations.

In fall, 2000, Gale served on numerous departmental committees and was Chair of the Continental Europe Search Committee. 

Robert G. Clouse wrote the chapter entitled AProphecy for the People, the Eschatology of Hale Lindsey,@ in Apocalypticism and Millenialism edited by Loren L. Jones.  He also contributed seven articles to The Evangelical Dictionary of World Missions edited by A. Scott Moreau.  Bob gave seven conference and public presentations.

At the May 6, 2000, Commencement Ceremony, Bob was honored by the University for his many years of dedicated service by receiving the Faculty Distinguished Service Award.  In 2000, Bob served as a member of six university committees and organizations, including the Faculty Senate.  He was Director of the Eugene V. Debs Foundation and President of the Faculty Club.  Bob continued to speak at the First Brethren Church, Clay City.

William W. Giffin served as a member of the College of Arts and Sciences Faculty Council and was on the Debs Fellowship Committee.  He also served as Treasurer of the Executive Council and was on the Membership Committee of the Indiana Association of Historians.  In addition, he sat on the Membership Committee of the Organization of American Historians.  Bill published ADestruction of Delaware and Miami Towns in the Aftermath of the Battle of Tippecanoe: The Impact of Perspective on History@ in Papers of the Thirty-First Algonquian Conference, edited by John D. Nichols.  He also presented one conference paper.  

Nancy Hagedorn (who joined our faculty in fall semester 2000) served as library liaison for the History Department.  Nancy also redesigned the graduate and undergraduate program brochures for the department. 

Timothy Hawkins (who joined our faculty in fall semester 2000) gave one conference paper and published one book review.  Tim served as coordinator for the History Department=s web page. 

Robert Hunter published AState-Society Relations in 19^th Century Egypt: The Years of Transition, 1848-1879,@ in Middle Eastern Studies (London), and wrote an op-ed piece on the Arab-Israeli conflict for the Indianapolis Star.  Bob gave three conference papers and spoke to the Terre Haute Rotary Club on the Middle East.  He also founded the Midwest Association of Middle East and Islamic Studies, with twenty charter members from colleges and universities in Indiana. 

Donald L. Layton continued to be active in the Vigo County Historical Society.  He also was faculty advisor to the Roller Hockey Club, Social Dance Club, and Sigma Nu Fraternity, and a member of the General Education Committee, and a Center for Teaching and Learning Fellow. 

Christopher Olsen  published his first book, Political Culture and Secession in Mississippi: Masculinity, Honor, and the Antiparty Tradition, 1830-1860, (New York: Oxford University Press).  Praised by reviewers as Ainnovative@ and Acompelling,@ Chris= study offers an original explanation of Antebellum Mississippi=s political culture that also sheds light upon Southern secession and the coming of the Civil War.  Chris gave one conference paper, made one presentation to a Civil War Roundtable, and had one book review published.  He also served as on-air consultant during the live television coverage of election night on NewsChannel 2. 

Richard S. Schneirov published two book reviews, had an entry in the Encyclopedia of the Midwest, and gave three conference papers.  Rich also organized the Eugene V. Debs Politics of Dissent in Modern America Conference held at Indiana State University, and continued as President of the ISU Chapter of the AAUP and as Advisor to History=s Graduate Program.