History News

Celebrated Second World War Historian John C. McManus to Speak at 2024 UE Fiddick Lecture Series

The University of Evansville (UE) Department of History, Politics, and Social Change is proud to welcome Dr. John C. McManus for the 22nd annual Thomas C. Fiddick Memorial Lecture.

The lecture will be in Eykamp Hall in the Ridgway University Center on Friday, October 4, at 7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

McManus is Curators' Distinguished Professor of U.S. military history at the Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T). He pursued undergraduate and master's degrees at the University of Missouri and received his PhD from the University of Tennessee.

As one of the nation's leading military historians, and the author of fifteen well received books on the topic, he is in frequent demand as a speaker and expert commentator. In addition to dozens of local and national radio programs, he has appeared on CNN.com, Fox News, C-Span, the Military Channel, the Discovery Channel, the National Geographic Channel, Netflix, the Smithsonian Network, the History Channel and PBS, among others.

He is the host of two podcasts and served as historical advisor for the bestselling book and documentary Salinger, which appeared nationwide in theaters and on PBS's American Masters Series. During the 2018-2019 academic year, he was in residence at the U.S. Naval Academy as the Leo A. Shifrin Chair of Naval and Military History, a distinguished visiting professorship. His most recent project has been a major three volume history of the U.S. Army in the Pacific/Asia theater during World War II which culminated with the 2023 publication of To the End of the Earth: The US Army and the Downfall of Japan, 1945.

"Professor McManus is one of the world's leading historians of World War II and it is an enormous privilege to bring him to the University of Evansville to deliver the 2024 Fiddick Lecture and interact with students in class," said Dr. James MacLeod, professor of history and director of the Fiddick Memorial Lecture Series. "Given the fact that the lecture will mark 80 years since some of the key battles of the Pacific War, and Tom Fiddick's lifelong interest in the War, this lecture topic is particularly appropriate."

Thomas C. Fiddick, for whom the Fiddick Memorial Lecture is named, served as professor of history at the University of Evansville from 1963 to 2002. In his 39 years at the University, he was a dedicated teacher, a productive scholar, and a tireless fighter in the cause of justice. His book, Russia's Retreat from Poland, 1920: From Permanent Revolution to Peaceful Coexistence, is still considered to be the best book on this topic. Tom's untimely death on the day of his retirement in 2002 stunned the entire UE community, especially his many former students. It was from the former students' efforts in particular, with the support of Dr Fiddick's friends and the University, that the annual Thomas C. Fiddick Memorial Lecture was established.

"For over twenty years, the Fiddick Lecture has been one of the best events of the year, as we get to celebrate the career of a truly outstanding faculty member here at UE," MacLeod added. "Tom Fiddick was a brilliant scholar and an incredible teacher who made a life-transforming impact on generations of students."

Pulitzer-Winning Historian to Commemorate 60th JFK Assassination Anniversary with Lecture on UE campus

The University of Evansville's Department of History, Politics, and Social Change is proud to welcome Dr. Fredrik Logevall for the 21st annual Thomas C. Fiddick Memorial Lecture. The Lecture will be in Eykamp Hall in the Ridgway University Center at UE on Friday, November 10 at 7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

John F. Kennedy was one of the iconic political figures of the 20th century, a man known around the world by his initials, and tragically assassinated sixty years ago. From a young age, Kennedy had been fascinated by the nature and demands of leadership, especially in a democracy, and by the nature of political courage. Later, as a U.S. senator, he wondered aloud about how elected officials could reconcile their sense of the national interests with the often capricious demands of their constituents. The question, Kennedy suggested, went to the core of democratic governance. How should we consider JFK and his role in American and world politics, particularly during this time of rising threats to democracy both at home and abroad? In the 21st annual Thomas C. Fiddick Memorial Lecture, Pulitzer Prize-winning Harvard historian Fredrik Logevall will mark the 60th anniversary of JFK's death by exploring Kennedy's consequential leadership and why it matters for our current moment.

Dr. Fredrik Logevall is the Laurence D. Belfer Professor of International Affairs and Professor of History at Harvard University. He is a specialist in U.S. politics and foreign policy. Logevall was previously the Stephen and Madeline Anbinder Professor of History at Cornell University, where he also served as vice provost and as director of the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies. He won the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for History for his book Embers of War: The Fall of an Empire and the Making of America's Vietnam. His most recent book, JFK: Coming of Age in the American Century, 1917-1956 (2020), was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. It has been called "An utterly incandescent study of one of the most consequential figures of the twentieth century" and "a powerful, provocative, and above all compelling book." Logevall's essays and reviews have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, Politico, Daily Beast, and Foreign Affairs, among other publications.

"Professor Legevall is one of the world's leading historians of John F Kennedy and it is an enormous privilege to bring him to the University of Evansville to deliver the 2023 Fiddick Lecture and interact with students in class," said Dr James MacLeod, UE professor of history and director of the Fiddick Memorial Lecture Series. "Given the fact that the lecture will mark 60 years since JFK's untimely death, and Tom Fiddick's lifelong interest in the study of Kennedy, this lecture topic is particularly appropriate."

Thomas C. Fiddick, for whom the Fiddick Memorial Lecture is named, served as professor of history at the University of Evansville from 1963 to 2002. In his 39 years at the University, he was a dedicated teacher, a productive scholar, and a tireless fighter in the cause of justice. His book, Russia's Retreat from Poland, 1920: From Permanent Revolution to Peaceful Coexistence, is still considered to be the best book on this topic. Tom's untimely death on the day of his retirement in 2002 stunned the entire UE community, especially his many former students. It was from the former students' efforts in particular, with the support of Dr Fiddick's friends and the University, that the annual Thomas C. Fiddick Memorial Lecture was established.

"For over twenty years, the Fiddick Lecture has been one of the best events of the year, as we get to celebrate the career of a truly outstanding faculty member here at UE," MacLeod added. "Tom Fiddick was a wonderful friend, a brilliant scholar and an incredible teacher who made a life-transforming impact on generations of students."

UE Professor, Historian Dr. James MacLeod Releases Book Highlighting Evansville during the 20th Century

Dr. James MacLeod, a Professor of History at the University of Evansville (UE), has unveiled a captivating historical narrative in his book, Lost Evansville, which was released on October 9 by The History Press.

In this book, spanning 1945 to 1975, Dr. MacLeod explores the profound impact of this transformative period on Evansville. The narrative spans from the city's early history at Angel Mounds to the challenges of the Great Depression, World War II, the turbulent 1950s, and the significant physical changes of the 1960s and 1970s. Importantly, it sheds light on the "lost history" of the Civil Rights struggle in Evansville during this era.

Lost Evansville features over 80 images, bringing history to life in a gripping and fast-paced account. Dr. MacLeod's extensive expertise in Evansville's history makes this book a compelling read for those interested in the city's past and how it created the future.

Dr. MacLeod's impressive contributions to local history include his roles on historical society boards and receiving the Indiana Historical Society's Hubert Hawkins History Award in 2021. This book is his fourth publication and is expected to be a valuable addition to his body of work.

Lost Evansville by Dr. MacLeod is available at major retailers or by clicking here.

A series of public lectures followed by book signings will be available during the months of November and December. Dr. MacLeod will be selling and signing books at all of these events.

About Dr. James MacLeod, Professor of History, University of Evansville

Dr James MacLeod chairs the Department of History, Politics, and Social Change at UE. He is the author of Evansville in World War Two, which was published in 2015, and The Cartoons of Evansville's Karl Kae Knecht, published in February 2017. In 2016 he wrote and co-produced a 2-part documentary on Evansville in World War II for WNIN PBS titled Evansville at War. In 2000, he published a book on 19th century British religion, The Second Disruption, and has also written over 30 other scholarly publications. He has delivered hundreds of public lectures, has won many awards for his teaching and scholarship, and was UE's Outstanding Teacher in 2009. MacLeod is an active local historian, and serves on the Boards of the Vanderburgh County Historical Society, the Southwestern Indiana Historical Society, and the History Committee of the Evansville Museum of Art, History and Science. In 2021 he received the Indiana Historical Society's Hubert Hawkins History Award in recognition of his distinguished service and career in local history.

Lost Evansville Flyer

Dr. James MacLeod Receives Indiana Historical Society's Hubert Hawkins History Award

James MacLeod, PhD, chair of the UE Department of History, Politics, and Social Change, has been presented with one of the 2021 Founders Day Awards by the Indiana Historical Society (IHS). Each year, the IHS presents the Founders Day Awards, which recognize outstanding individuals and organizations whose efforts have enriched the lives of others by conveying awareness and appreciation of Indiana's history on local, regional, and statewide levels. 

The IHS awarded MacLeod with the Hubert Hawkins History Award, which is made annually to a local historian for his or her distinguished service and career in local history. MacLeod is an active local historian, serving on the Boards of the Vanderburgh County Historical Society; the Southwestern Indiana Historical Society; and the Evansville Museum of Art, History and Science.

“I am extremely honored to receive this award from the IHS," said MacLeod. "While it is an individual award, it is a reflection of the hard work being done by numerous people in the field of local history here in Evansville. The work that I have done over the last few years has all been built on the foundation of research produced by others, and it has been done with the help of a group of wonderful people who welcomed me - as a foreigner and an outsider - incredibly warmly into the local history community.”

MacLeod was educated at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, receiving a Master of Arts in 1988 and a PhD in 1993. He taught history and British studies at Harlaxton College in England from 1994-1999. Since 1999, he has been teaching at UE. Currently, MacLeod chairs the Department of History, Politics, and Social Change, and he teaches courses in European History and the two World Wars. In 2009, he received the Outstanding Teacher Award at the UE commencement.

MacLeod is the author of Evansville in World War Two, which was published in 2015, and The Cartoons of Evansville’s Karl Kae Knecht, published in 2017. In 2016, he wrote and co-produced a 2-part documentary on Evansville in World War II for WNIN PBS, titled Evansville at War. In 2000, he published a book on 19th-century British religion titled The Second Disruption. MacLeod has written over 30 other scholarly publications, delivered hundreds of public lectures, and won many awards for teaching and scholarship. In 2009, he was awarded the Outstanding Teacher Award during the UE Commencement.

“Dr. James MacLeod is the heir apparent for local academic history studies in Vanderburgh County,” said Terry Hughes, president of the Vanderburgh County Historical Association. “His books on World War II and cartoonist Karl Kae Knecht fill voids in local history research, and his documentary film on WWII in Evansville will be a lasting treasure for the community.”

“His original research into Evansville’s history is a significant addition to the body of knowledge documenting our community’s development," said Tom Lonnberg, chief curator and curator of history at the Evansville Museum of Arts, History, and Science. "His leadership in this area and ready willingness to share his findings are an invaluable resource.”

Jennifer Greene, chief archivist at the University of Southern Indiana, added, “Dr. James MacLeod has made the old new again through his books and projects about local history. He brings a sense of humor in his editorial cartoons that highlights the issue of the day in much the same way Karl K. Knecht did, a history he brought to life in his recent book about the cartoon editorialist. He supports the community in his work with organizations like Southwestern Indiana Historical Society, of which he has been a long-standing board member, but also in his involvement in civic projects.”

“Founders Day Awards honor the people and organizations who toil in the fields of history to create resources that benefit our state and its many communities,” said Susan Jones-Huffine, chair of the board of trustees of the Indiana Historical Society. “Our history proves that in times like these, we have reason to be hopeful.”

The IHS will honor Founders Day Award recipients during a virtual celebration on November 1, 2021. It will be streamed on Facebook Live beginning at 6 p.m.

James MacLeod

Distinguished Historian Sally Roesch Wagner to Deliver Fiddick Lecture on November 5

The UE Department of History, Politics, and Social Change will welcome Dr. Sally Roesch Wagner for the 19th annual Thomas C. Fiddick Memorial Lecture on Friday, November 5. The lecture will begin at 7:00 p.m. in Eykamp Hall, located on the second floor of Ridgway University Center on the UE campus. The event is free and open to the public with a book-signing afterwards. For those who are unable to attend in person, the lecture will be live streamed. 

The 19th annual Fiddick Lecture is a centennial celebration (delayed by one year due to COVID-19) of the passing of the 19th Amendment, which gave American women the right to vote. Focusing on the women's rights movement over three centuries, Dr. Wagner’s lecture examines the movement's changing agenda, why it has happened, and how we can move forward today with United States democracy and the very existence of life on the planet hanging in the balance. 

Dr. Sally Roesch Wagner was awarded one of the first doctorates in the country for work in women’s studies (UC Santa Cruz), and she is a founder of one the first college-level women’s studies programs in the United States (CSU Sacramento). Dr. Wagner has taught women’s studies courses for 50 years, and she currently teaches for Syracuse University’s Honors Program. 

A major historian of the suffrage movement, Dr. Wagner has been active on the national scene. She appeared in and wrote the faculty guide for the Ken Burns documentary Not for Ourselves Alone. A prolific author, Dr. Wagner’s anthology The Women's Suffrage Movement, with a foreword by Gloria Steinem (Penguin Classics, 2019), unfolds a new intersectional look at the 19th century women’s rights movement. Sisters in Spirit: Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Influence on Early American Feminists (Native Voices, 2001) documents the surprisingly unrecognized authority of Native women who inspired the suffrage movement. It was followed by her young reader’s book, We Want Equal Rights: How Suffragists Were Influenced by Native American Women (Native Voices, 2020). Among her awards, Dr. Wagner was selected as a 2020 New York State Senate Woman of Distinction, one of “21 Leaders for the 21st Century” by Women’s E-News in 2015, and she received the Katherine Coffey Award for outstanding service to museology from the Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums in 2012. 

“Professor Wagner is one of the leading historians of Women’s Suffrage in the country, and it is an enormous privilege to bring her to the University of Evansville to deliver the 2021 Fiddick Lecture and interact with students in class,” said Dr. James MacLeod, professor of history and director of the Fiddick Memorial Lecture Series for UE. “On the hundredth anniversary of one of the greatest steps forward in American history, it is important that we reflect and learn some of the lessons of the passing of Women’s Suffrage. Gaining the vote was a hugely important moment for American women, but the women’s rights movement has evolved significantly over the years, and there can be few better-qualified people to tell us this fascinating story than Sally Roesch Wagner.”  

Thomas C. Fiddick, for whom the Fiddick Memorial Lecture is named, served as professor of history at UE from 1963 to 2002. In his 39 years at the University, he was a dedicated teacher, a productive scholar, and a tireless fighter in the cause of justice. His book, Russia's Retreat from Poland, 1920: From Permanent Revolution to Peaceful Coexistence, is still considered to be the best book on this topic. Tom’s untimely death on the day of his retirement in 2002 stunned the entire UE community, especially his many former students. It was from the former students’ efforts in particular, with the support of Dr. Fiddick’s friends and the University, that the annual Thomas C. Fiddick Memorial Lecture was established. 

“The Fiddick Lecture is one of the best events of the year, as we get to celebrate the career of a truly outstanding faculty member here at UE,” MacLeod added. “Tom Fiddick was a brilliant scholar and an incredible teacher who made a life-transforming impact on generations of students.” 

Masks will be required while indoors on the UE campus. To stream the lecture live, visit evansville.edu/live

UE to Host 18th Annual Fiddick Memorial Lecture on November 8

The University of Evansville will host its 18th annual Thomas C. Fiddick Memorial Lecture on Friday, November 8 at 7:00 p.m. Susan Kent, arts and sciences professor of distinction from the University of Colorado will be the guest speaker. Kent's presentation, titled The Traumatic Effects of the 1918-19 Influenza Epidemic, will be held in  Smythe Lecture Hall, Room 170 within the Schroeder School of Business and is free and open to the public. 

Between 1918 and 1919, an influenza pandemic – often called the “Spanish Flu” – ravaged the world, killing at least 30 million people, and perhaps as many as 100 million. Kent has said that “it proved more deadly than any other disease since the Black Death in the fourteenth century, and it killed more people than any other single event of the twentieth century except World War II.” Her lecture will examine the worldwide impact of the flu on a variety of people and events and consider how the pandemic had the effect of influencing and even determining some of the most important issues of the interwar period.

Kent is a prolific scholar and an acknowledged expert in several fields, including British History, Imperialism, and Gender History, as well as the history of the Spanish Flu. She is the author of The Global Influenza Pandemic of 1918-1919 (2012).

Thomas Fiddick served as professor of history at the University of Evansville from the fall quarter of 1963 to the spring semester of 2002. In the 39 years he spent at the University, he was a dedicated teacher, a productive scholar, and a tireless fighter in the cause of justice. His untimely death on the day of his retirement in 2002 stunned the entire University of Evansville community, especially his many former students. It was from the former students' efforts in particular, with the support of Tom Fiddick's friends and the University, that the annual Thomas C. Fiddick Memorial Lecture was established.

Susan Kent

Ashley Jordan to speak at UE’s Annual History Spring Lecture

Ashley Jordan, the new executive director of the Evansville African American Museum, will be the speaker for the University of Evansville Department of History’s annual History Spring Lecture on March 28. The lecture, which is free and open to the public, begins at 3:00 p.m. in Room 170 (Smythe Lecture Hall), in the Schroeder School of Business Building.

Jordan’s lecture will be based on this quote from Winston Churchill: “History will be kind to me, for I intend to write it.” She will also discuss the Underground Railroad in the Midwest and the migration of African Americans to Ohio. Both topics are Jordan’s research areas and specialties. 

Prior to taking on the role of executive director of the Evansville African American Museum, Jordan served as the curator for the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, as well as the National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center in Wilberforce, Ohio. In addition to her professional experiences in public history, she has served as an adjunct professor for North Central State College in Mansfield, Ohio.

In May 2017, Jordan graduated with her doctorate in United States History from Howard University. She completed her undergraduate degree at Kent State University and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in history with a minor in political science in 2008.

Jordan is also the proud recipient of numerous professional, academic and civic awards including the Pace Setter Award from the Association of African American Museums, a multiple doctoral fellowship recipient for the Filson and the Kentucky Historical Societies and the Black Excellence Award from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

James MacLeod, chair of UE’s Department of History, said that UE is “very excited to have Dr. Jordan come and deliver this lecture. She is an outstanding scholar and a wonderful communicator, and we are hoping this event will resonate with students of all majors, not just those who study history.”

UE Professor of History Daniel Byrne to speak at March Andiron Lecture

University of Evansville associate professor of history Daniel Byrne will be the speaker for the Andiron Lecture on Wednesday, March 6, in Eykamp Hall, Room 252, Ridgway University Center on UE’s campus. The lecture starts at 4:00 p.m. This event is free and open to the public.

Byrne’s topic will be “Cautiously Confronting Colonialism: The United States and Decolonizing Africa, 1962-1990."

Byrne focuses his teaching on United States history since the American Civil War, with a focus on the United States in the world. Additionally, he teaches a seminar on African decolonization, which combines his research in United States foreign policy with the nationalist perspectives on the end of European empires in Africa. His original research focused on the United States response to the Algerian war of independence and has expanded to cover the decolonization of French West Africa.

With the conclusion of the Algerian war of independence and the decolonization of much of British and French Africa, the United States sought to reshape its response to the remainder of decolonizing Africa and to confront the white-ruled states of Rhodesia, Namibia, and South Africa. As the American Civil Rights movement scored significant victories at home, it began to place increased pressures on US policy abroad. However, Cold War considerations limited America’s willingness to directly confront colonialism or to support nationalist independence movements. Consequently, the United States became slowly drawn into conflicts that placed its foreign policy at odds with its publicly declared support for democracy, self-determination, and racial equality.

For more information, call Annette Parks at 812-488-1070 or the William L. Ridgway College of Arts and Sciences at 812-488-2589.

Yale University Historian to Deliver Fiddick Lecture on Second Great War, 1917-1923

Jay Winter, the Charles J. Stille Professor of History Emeritus at Yale University, will be the speaker for the University of Evansville’s 17th annual Thomas C. Fiddick Memorial Lecture on Friday, October 26. The lecture begins at 7:00 p.m. in Eykamp Hall in Ridgway University Center. The event, hosted by UE’s Department of History, is free and open to the public.

Winter’s lecture marks the 100th anniversary of the First World War. His topic will be “The Second Great War, 1917-1923.”

The Fiddick Memorial Lecture is named for Thomas C. Fiddick, a professor of history at UE from 1963 to 2002. A dedicated teacher, productive scholar, and a tireless fighter in the cause of justice, his untimely death on the day of his retirement stunned the UE community. It was his former students’ efforts, with support of Fiddick’s friends and the University, that led to the establishment of the annual Thomas C. Fiddick Memorial Lecture.

“The Fiddick Lecture is one of the best events of the year, as we celebrate the career of a truly outstanding University of Evansville faculty member,” said James MacLeod, UE professor of history and director of the Fiddick Memorial Lecture Series. “Tom Fiddick was a brilliant scholar and an incredible teacher who made a life-transforming impact on generations of students.”

During Winter’s lecture, he will argue that a crisis in 1917 separates the first three years of the war from the years that followed, largely the result of powerful economic and demographic pressures which destabilized all the combatants, but more so the Central powers than the Allies. The critical event of this rupture was the 1917 Russian revolution. Hatred, hunger, and class conflict were radicalizing elements in the post-Imperial world. Winter suggests that the passage from wartime crisis to post-war and post-imperial violence was seamless, and part of one complex, distinctive phase of European history, starting in 1917 and ending more or less in 1923.

Fiddick’s book, Russia's Retreat from Poland, 1920: From Permanent Revolution to Peaceful Coexistence, deals with one of the conflicts to be discussed during Winter’s lecture.

Winter is one of the world’s leading scholars of World War I and its impact on the 20th century. He was educated at Columbia University and the University of Cambridge. In 2001 he joined the faculty of Yale. Winter is the author or co-author of 25 books, including Sites of Memory, Sites of Mourning: The Great War in European Cultural History; The Great War and the Shaping of the 20th Century; Rene Cassin and the Rights of Man, and most recently, War beyond Words: Languages of Remembrance from the Great War to the Present. In addition, he has edited or co-edited 30 books and contributed 130 book chapters to edited volumes.

Winter was also co-producer, co-writer, and chief historian for the PBS/BBC series The Great War and the Shaping of the 20th Century, which won an Emmy Award, a Peabody Award and a Producers Guild of America Award for best television documentary in 1997.

MacLeod noted that Winter “is as distinguished a scholar on World War I as there is anywhere in the world. It is an enormous privilege to bring him to the University of Evansville to deliver the 2018 Fiddick Lecture and interact with students in class,”

MacLeod added that on the 100th anniversary of “what we think of as the end of the First World War, it is important to reflect on the significant ways in which that war did not really end in 1918. Some conflicts that emerged between 1917 and 1923 we are still dealing with today. It is especially appropriate given Tom Fiddick’s lifelong passion for many of the issues discussed by Jay Winter, and the fact that one of Tom’s most important scholarly legacies is a book that deals with this very subject.”

For more information, please contact the Department of History at 812-488-2963.

MacLeod gives lecture on impact of WWII on Evansville

University of Evansville professor of history James MacLeod recently delivered a lecture to an enthusiastic and receptive crowd at the Evansville reserve officers club on “The Impact of World War Two on Evansville.”

The lecture dealt with topics covered in MacLeod's recent book, Evansville in World War II. MacLeod serves on the boards of both the Vanderburgh County Historical Society and the Southwestern Indiana Historical Society.

Niedbala serving as Vanderburgh Co. Historical Society board student representative

University of Evansville student Elizabeth Niedbala is serving as a student representative on the board of the Vanderburgh County Historical Society. She is the second UE history major to fill this position, following UE graduate Jessica Newell.

UE professor of history James MacLeod, who also serves on the board, said that "Elizabeth has been a wonderful addition to the board, adding insights and opinions that have helped us decide programs and approaches for the society."

MacLeod lectures on editorial cartoons and leads workshop on political cartooning

University of Evansville professor of history James MacLeod recently delivered a lecture on the “History of Editorial Cartoons” as part of the highly successful, first-ever comic con at the Evansville museum. He also led a workshop that looked at the art of political cartooning.

MacLeod is chair of the museum's history committee and also serves on the museum’s board of trustees.

MacLeod gives lecture at Evansville museum

University of Evansville professor of history James MacLeod recently delivered a lecture to a packed house at the Evansville museum on “The Impact of World War One.” The lecture marked the opening of the museum’s exhibit "Over There" on the impact of WWI on Evansville. MacLeod is chair of the museum's history committee and also serves on the museum’s board of trustees.

UE student Josh Franklin offered position at Dream Car Museum

Josh Franklin, a University of Evansville student majoring in history, has a passion for cars and museum work that earned him an internship position at the Dream Car Museum in Evansville. In this position, he helped set up some exhibits in the museum and learned about each item within the museum.

Following the end of his internship, the museum offered Josh a part time job. This allowed him to continue with his passion for cars and museum work. After about a year working for the Dream Car Museum, Josh has been offered a full-time position taking care of the exhibits, and helping maintain the entirety of the museum.

Niedbala wins UE history department's Orville Jaebker Student Research Prize

Senior Elizabeth Niedbala has won the Department of History's Orville Jaebker Student Research Prize for her outstanding senior thesis research proposal. She received a check at the most recent history department general meeting and will use the money to facilitate her research into the origins and influence of film noir.

According to history department chair Annette Parks, "Dr. Jaebker was an outstanding Chair of the History Department who served as a professor at UE for many years. We’re delighted that his name can be honored with this endowed Prize to encourage student research."

UE Professor Daniel Gahan to Discuss Irish Immigrants to Southwestern Indiana

University of Evansville professor of history Daniel Gahan will be the speaker for UE’s Andiron Lecture on April 5. The lecture, which is free and open to the public, begins at 4:00 p.m. in Eykamp Hall, Room 252, in Ridgway University Center. Gahan’s topic will be “Diggers, Farmers, and Townspeople: Irish Immigrants in Southwestern Indiana.”

Between 1815 and 1900 over four million Irish came to the US. The arrival of the Irish in such numbers sparked the first anti-immigrant political movement. Irish immigrants of 1815-1900 were largely Catholic; most settled in urban centers. Their eighteenth century compatriots were mostly Protestant and settled largely in the rural south. Scholarship on the nineteenth-century wave has focused largely on the urban experience, but recently there has been considerable study of those who settled in small towns and in the country.

Gahan will summarize current research on a 17-county area of southwestern Indiana, which examines the Irish immigrant experience there in the period 1815-1880. He will offer a profile of the Irish immigrant community of the study area at the mid-point of the century. He will consider evidence of community development, recreation of “normal” family life, achievement of a certain economic status, and degrees of assimilation, as experienced by these immigrants. This will be placed in the broader context of Irish settlement in rural parts of the US from 1815-1900.

Gahan earned his BA from the National University of Ireland (Maynooth College), his MA from Loyola University of Chicago, and his PhD from the University of Kansas. He has published on Irish agrarian history, Irish immigrants in the United States, and the Irish rebellion of 1798 (including a book on the rebellion in county Wexford, The People’s Rising).

The Andiron Lecture series is sponsored by the William L. Ridgway College of Arts and Sciences and supported by a generous gift from Donald B. Korb. For more information, call 812-488-1070 or 812-488-2589.

James MacLeod interviewed about new book on Karl Kae Knecht

Professor of history James MacLeod was interviewed by the Courier & Press and Eyewitness News (Channel 25) for In Depth with Brad Byrd about his new book, The Cartoons of Evansville’s Karl Kae Knecht. An article about the book is also currently featured on the Vanderburgh County Historical Society’s website.

The interviews and story can be viewed on the Courier & Press and Vanderburgh County Historical Society websites.

Parks's essay published in book on hostageship

Chair of the Department of History Annette Parks's article, "‘Thy Father's Valiancy Has Proved No Boon’: The Fates of Helena Angelina Doukaina and Her Children,” has been published in Medieval Hostageship c 700-c1500 Hostage, Captive, Prisoner of War, Guarantee, Peacemaker. The volume is published as part of the Routledge Research in Medieval Studies series. It is co-edited by UE alumna Katherine Weikert, lecturer in early medieval European history at the University of Winchester 

"Evansville at War" documentary series to air December 7 and 8

A documentary series for WNIN public television made by two UE professors will have its broadcast premiere on December 7 at 8:00 p.m. on WNIN channel 9. The second episode will air December 8 at 8:00 p.m. The series was directed by Joe Atkinson of the department of communication and written by James MacLeod of the department of history.

The series features interviews with over 40 people, most of whom were living in Evansville during World War II.

"It was a quite incredible experience to speak to these people," said Atkinson. "We were not sure how many we would manage to find, but my phone was ringing every day and we met some marvelous individuals."

Each episode lasts for one hour and covers the wide range of manufacturing in the city during the war as well as entertainment, rationing, fundraising, housing, and many other topics.

"What really struck us was how much the war affected your everyday life," MacLeod said."85,000 people were employed in war industry, but every man, woman and child in Evansville was aware that there was a war going on, every single day. It was, in a very real sense, total war."

The series will also be shown as a movie at the Showplace East on December 1 and 4.

You can view the documentary's trailer on YouTube.

Ireland’s Revolution of 1916 to be Topic of UE Fiddick Lecture

This year’s annual Thomas C. Fiddick Lecture sponsored by the University of Evansville’s Department of History is planned for Friday, October 28. The lecture begins at 7:00 p.m. in Room 170 (Smythe Lecture Hall) in the Schroeder School of Business Building. This event is free and open to the public.

Daire Koegh, professor of history at Dublin City University, will be the speaker. His topic will be “Ireland's Revolution 1916: Patrick Pearse and Education.”

Keogh has served as president of St Patrick’s College Drumcondra since 2012. He has published extensively on the history of popular politics, religion, and education in Ireland. He has a strong profile as a historian and an educationalist. He has lectured widely at universities in Europe, America, and Australia.

A former Government of Ireland senior research fellow, Keogh is currently principal investigator of an Irish Research Council funded project to publish the extensive correspondence of Cardinal Paul Cullen.

Keogh is a graduate of the National University of Ireland, Trinity College, the Gregorian University in Rome, and Glasgow University.

Fiddick, for whom the Fiddick Memorial Lecture is named, served as professor of history at the University of Evansville from 1963 to 2002. In his 39 years at the University, he was a dedicated teacher, a productive scholar, and a tireless fighter in the cause of justice. His untimely death on the day of his retirement stunned the UE community, especially his many former students. It was from the former students’ efforts in particular, with the support of Fiddick’s friends and the University, that the annual Thomas C. Fiddick Memorial Lecture was established.

For more information, call UE’s Department of History at 812-488-2965.

UE Andiron Lecture Series for 2016-17 Announced

The University of Evansville’s annual Andiron Lecture Series begins October 5 in Eykamp Hall, Room 252, in Ridgway University Center. UE associate professor of archaeology Jennie Ebeling will be speaking on “It Takes a Village: The Realities of Directing an Archaeological Excavation in the 21st Century.” A social hour with beverages precedes each lecture at 3:45 p.m. The lectures are free and open to the public.

Other lectures in this series include:

November 9, 4:00 p.m., Eykamp Hall, Room 253, Ridgway University Center

“Evansville History in Motion” – Joe Atkinson, UE digital multimedia specialist in residence

February 1, 4:00 p.m., Eykamp Hall, Room 252, Ridgway University Center

“Alpha Scholars and First- Generation Families” – Mari Plikuhn, associate professor of sociology

March 1, 4:00 p.m., Eykamp Hall, Room 252, Ridgway University Center

“Toward a New Nostalgia for Public Libraries: Engaging, Inquiring, and Empowering” – Cynthia Sturgis Landrum, director of the Evansville-Vanderburgh Public Library

April 5, 4:00 p.m., Eykamp Hall, Room 252, Ridgway University Center

“Diggers, Farmers, and Townsmen: Irish Immigrants in Southwestern Indiana” – Daniel Gahan, UE professor of history

The Andiron Lecture series is sponsored by the William L. Ridgway College of Arts and Sciences and supported by a generous gift from Donald B. Korb. For more information, call 812-488-1070 or 812-488-2589.

Atkinson and MacLeod to present at TedX Evansville

Joe Atkinson, digital multimedia specialist in residence in the Department of Communication, and James MacLeod, professor of history, have been selected to present at the second TedX Evansville event on October 1 at the Evansville Museum Koch Planetarium

Their Ted Talk will be based on their documentary series Evansville at War, which will be broadcast on WNIN Public Television on December 7-8.

"Our talk is intended to be an inspiration to the people of Evansville," said Atkinson. "We did so much in a short time during the War, and we believe that that spirit is still alive today."

MacLeod added that the Ted Talk will feature some video clips of interviews they have conducted with World War II veterans from Evansville.

"The current developments downtown make it clear that the can-do spirit we saw in the city 75 years ago is still alive and well," MacLeod said.

The entire TedX Evansville event will be streamed live on the Internet, and tickets for the live show are also available.

UE Department of History Spring Lecture Planned for April 21

The annual Spring Lecture hosted by the Department of History at the University of Evansville, is set for Thursday, April 21. The event will begin at 4:00 p.m. in Eykamp Hall, Room 251, Ridgway University Center. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Kramer earned his PhD in history from Princeton University. His first book, The Blood of Government: Race, Empire, the United States and the Philippines explores the imperial politics of race-making between US and Philippine societies in the late-19th and early-20th centuries. The book was awarded the Organization of American Historians’ James A. Rawley Prize and the Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations’ Stuart L. Bernath Book Prize. It was also a finalist for the Philippines’ National Book Award in the social science category.

Kramer is coeditor of Cornell University Press’s series The United States in the World: Transnational Histories, International Perspectives. He is currently at work on a manuscript on the geopolitics of US racial formations across the long 20th century.

Kramer was program chair for The United States in the World/The World in the United States, the 2009 annual conference of the Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations. He is a member of the editorial boards of Labor: Working-Class History of the Americas, Philippine Studies, and Diplomatic History.

For more information, contact UE’s Department of History at 812-488-2963.

James MacLeod Discusses Campaign Violence on WEHT's In-Depth Segment

University of Evansville professor of history James MacLeod recently appeared on Brad Byrd’s In-Depth segment on WEHT/ABC Eyewitness News. MacLeod, who is also a political cartoonist for the Evansville Courier & Press, was discussing the issue of recent and historical campaign violence. 

UE Professor James MacLeod Plans Book Launch on Veterans Day

University of Evansville professor of history James MacLeod will read from his newly released book, Evansville in World War II, at a book launch on Wednesday, November 11. As part of UE’s celebration of Veterans Day, MacLeod’s reading will start at 7:00 p.m. in Room 170 (Smythe Lecture Hall) in the Schroeder School of Business Building on the University campus. A reception will follow in the lobby, near the plaque that honors those alumni from the University of Evansville (then known as Evansville College) who were killed in World War II. This event is free and open to the public.

The book will be for sale at the event and the author will be signing copies.

MacLeod’s book discusses the importance of Evansville to the war effort during World War II. The city manufactured hundreds of ships, thousands of fighter planes, and billions of other materials that made a huge contribution to the Allies’ eventual victory. It was an exhilarating time of great change and opportunity for everyone who lived and worked in the city, but also a period of great challenges and profound loss. MacLeod explains how this industry came to be in Evansville, reveals the enormous impact that it had on its social, economic and cultural life, and analyzes how the city dealt with a time of astonishing transformation.

One chapter of MacLeod’s book is dedicated to the students of Evansville College who lost their lives in World War II and who are memorialized on the monument located on campus.

MacLeod was educated at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. He taught history and British studies at Harlaxton College from 1994-1999. Since 1999 he has been a member of the history department at the University of Evansville. He teaches courses in European history and the two World Wars, and lectures frequently on these topics. He has written a book on 19th-century British religion, The Second Disruption, as well as many other scholarly publications. MacLeod is also currently working on a book on Karl Kae Knecht, longtime editorial cartoonist of the Evansville Courier. That book will be published by the History Press in 2016.

For more information on the book reading, please call 812-488-2141.

University of Evansville’s Annual Fiddick Lecture Planned for October 30

The University of Evansville’s Department of History will welcome Steven P. Gietschier, university curator and associate professor of history at Lindenwood University, as guest speaker for the annual Thomas C. Fiddick Memorial Lecture. His topic will be “From before Jackie Robinson to after Ferguson.’ American Sports and Political Activism.” The event is Friday, October 30, 7:00 p.m. in Room 170, Schroeder School of Business Building. It is free and open to the public.

In the wake of professional athletes commenting publicly on the events in Ferguson and other acts that have led to community protests, Gietschier will examine the long history of American athletes getting involved in political or social activism. He will explore the circumstances where American athletes have stepped away from their games and into the larger arena in which we all live, as well as times when they have they not. He will examine why these decisions were made and the results of these decisions.

Gietschier earned his BSFS in international affairs from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University and his MA and PhD in history from Ohio State University. Before joining the Lindenwood faculty in 2009, he worked for the Ohio Historical Society, the South Carolina Department of Archives and History, and The Sporting News. He joined the The Sporting News staff in 1986, as the publication was celebrating its centennial, to take charge of the company's archives. He turned a chaotic collection of books, periodicals, photographs, index cards, clippings, and other materials into the Sporting News Research Center, one of the outstanding special libraries specific to sport, especially baseball, in the United States. He wrote the annual "Year in Review" essay in the Baseball Guide and edited the Complete Baseball Record Book for five years.

“Steve Gietschier is an extremely distinguished historian of American sports, and we are absolutely thrilled to bring him to the University of Evansville to deliver the Fiddick Lecture and interact with students in class,” said James MacLeod, UE professor of history and director of the Fiddick Memorial Lecture Series. “Professional athletes have played an important role in our nation’s politics over the years, and we are very much looking forward to having one of the country’s leading sports historians with us for the Fiddick Lecture.”

“It is especially appropriate,” added MacLeod, “Given Tom Fiddick’s lifelong passion for professional sports, especially baseball.”

Fiddick, for whom the Fiddick Memorial Lecture is named, served as professor of history at the University of Evansville from 1963 to 2002. In his 39 years at the University, he was a dedicated teacher, a productive scholar, and a tireless fighter in the cause of justice. His untimely death on the day of his retirement in 2002 stunned the entire UE community, especially his many former students. It was from the former students’ efforts in particular, with the support of Fiddick’s friends and the University, that the annual Thomas C. Fiddick Memorial Lecture was established.

For more information, please call UE’s Department of History at 812-488-2965.

Cartoon Goes Global: UE Professor of History Draws Response to Charlie Hebdo Attack

UE professor of history and local cartoonist, Dr. James MacLeod, joined other cartoonists to create a drawing in response to the attacks on the satirical magazine, Charlie Hebdo, in Paris last week. The message struck a chord with media from around the globe as his cartoon went viral, appearing on the website homepages of such notable outlets as CNN, The Wall Street Journal, TIME, Huffington Post, BBC, Washington Post, CBS Face the Nation and more.

He even appeared in live interviews on the subject, including one with MSNBC where he says his drawing illustrates that “ideas and creativity is a more powerful force than violence”. 

Click here to view the full interview from MSNBC.

MacLeod did interviews with several other print, web, television and radio outlets including Voice of America, Salon.com, WRTV, WFYI, WIBC, Indianapolis Monthly, and 14news, Eyewitness News and the Courier and Press locally.

See below for a full list of all the places Dr. Macleod’s cartoon was featured as well as links to the many interviews he did on the subject: 

Interview Appearances:

Cartoon featured online: BBC, CNN, CNN Europe, Yahoo, NBC, MSNBC, ITV, TIME, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, San Francisco Chronicle, Huffington Post, Times of Israel, Here and Now, NPR National, Toronto Star, US State Department, Courier and Press

Cartoon Broadcast on: MSNBC, NBC Today Show, NBC Nightly News, Al Jazeera, 14WFIE, Eyewitness News, CBS Face the Nation

Cartoon Printed In: Wall Street Journal, Evansville Courier and Press

Fiddick Lecture to Discuss "The GI Generation: Sending American Soldiers into Battle in World War II"

The University of Evansville’s Department of History is proud to welcome Evansville native Theodore Wilson, Professor of History at the University of Kansas, for the annual Thomas C. Fiddick Memorial Lecture.

Dr. Wilson will present "The GI Generation: Sending American Soldiers into Battle in World War II" at 7 p.m. Friday, October 10, in Eykamp Hall (Room 252, Ridgway University Center). His lecture is free and open to the public.

“Theodore Wilson is one of the most distinguished historians of the Second World War working in America today, and we are absolutely thrilled to bring him to the University of Evansville to deliver the Fiddick Lecture and interact with students in class,” said Dr James MacLeod, UE professor of history and director of the Fiddick Memorial Lecture. “As we mark the 70th anniversary of D-Day and some of the other battles where young Americans changed the course of world history, it is the perfect time for our community to hear from one of the world’s foremost authorities on the United States Military between 1941 and 1945.”

Theodore A. Wilson grew up in Evansville and received his Ph.D. from Indiana University in 1966. He has been a member of the University of Kansas faculty since 1965. His research has focused on the intersections of politics, national security policies, and foreign affairs between 1940 and 1975, and in recent years chiefly on the military dimensions of World War II. A recipient of Guggenheim and NEH fellowships, Wilson has held visiting appointments at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Leicester University, and University College Dublin. He served as Senior Research Fellow during 1989-91 at the U.S. Army Center of Military History. He is the author or editor of such works as The First Summit: Roosevelt and Churchill at Placentia Bay, 1941; Makers of American Diplomacy; D-Day 1944 and Victory in Europe, 1945: From World War to Cold War. Since 1986, he has been General Editor of the University Press of Kansas series, Modern War Studies. Forthcoming books include Coalition Warfare: A History and Building Warriors: The Selection and Training of U.S. Ground Combat Forces in World War II.

The Talking Dead in the Middle Ages

Annette Parks, professor of history, will be presenting “The Talking Dead” on Saturday, August 23 at 2:00 at the Evansville Museum as part of their Super Saturday activities. The August Super Saturday program has a medieval theme and will include a variety of activities from 11 to 4. Parks’ lecture will examine some medieval ideas and practices surrounding corpses – especially those of the wealthy and powerful. Admission to the lecture (and other activities) is free with Museum admission.

Fiddick Lecture to Discuss “Changing Views of Islam”

The University of Evansville’s Department of History is proud to welcome Olivia Remie Constable, professor of medieval history and the Robert M. Conway Director of the Medieval Institute at the University of Notre Dame, for the annual Thomas C. Fiddick Memorial Lecture.

Constable will present “Changing Views of Islam in Spain Between the Middle Ages and the Early Modern Period” at 7 p.m. Friday, November 1, in Eykamp Hall (Room 252, Ridgway University Center). Her lecture is free and open to the public.

“Olivia Remie Constable is one of the most distinguished medieval historians working in America today, and we are absolutely thrilled to bring her to the University of Evansville to deliver the Fiddick Lecture and interact with students in class,” said James MacLeod, UE professor of history and director of the Fiddick Memorial Lecture. “As the Western world struggles with its problematic relationship with Islam, and as tensions between the two continue to rise, it is the perfect time for our community to hear from one of the world’s foremost authorities on the relationship between the West and Islam.”

Constable holds a PhD in Near Eastern studies from Princeton University and has taught at the University of Notre Dame since 1995. Her publications include Trade and Traders in Muslim Spain: The Commercial Realignment of the Iberian Peninsula 900-1500 (Cambridge University Press, 1994), which won the John Nicholas Brown Prize from the Medieval Academy of America; Medieval Iberia: Readings from Christian, Muslim, and Jewish Sources (University of Pennsylvania Press, 1997; second edition 2011); and Housing the Stranger in the Mediterranean World: Lodging, Trade, and Travel in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages (Cambridge University Press, 2003). She is currently working on a new book examining Christian perceptions of Muslim identity in late medieval and early modern Spain.

Constable has been a member of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, has received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the American Council of Learned Societies, and the Guggenheim Foundation, and was named a fellow of the Medieval Academy of America in 2009.

Thomas Fiddick, for whom the Fiddick Memorial Lecture is named, served as professor of history at the University of Evansville from 1963 to 2002. In his 39 years at the University, he was a dedicated teacher, a productive scholar, and a tireless fighter in the cause of justice. His untimely death on the day of his retirement in 2002 stunned the entire UE community, especially his many former students. It was from the former students’ efforts in particular, with the support of Fiddick’s friends and the University, that the annual Thomas C. Fiddick Memorial Lecture was established.

“The Fiddick Lecture is one of the best events of the year, as we get to celebrate the career of a truly outstanding faculty member here at UE,” MacLeod added. “Tom Fiddick was a brilliant scholar and an incredible teacher who made a life-transforming impact on generations of students.”

For more information, please contact the Department of History at 812-488-2963.

History Professor Publishes New Article

Dr Robin Sager has a new article out.

Warm congratulations to Dr Robin Sager, of the UE Department of History, who has published another scholarly article, “Waco’s Women in War Time,” in Waco History and Heritage 39:1. Feel free to ask her anytime about Waco's Women in War time!

Speaker Announced for 12th Fiddick Lecture

Notre Dame Professor to speak at UE on November 1st at 7pm

The Department of History is delighted to announce that the 12th annual Thomas C. Fiddick Memorial Lecture will be at 7pm on Friday November 1, 2013 in the Ridgway University Center. The speaker will be Olivia Remie Constable, professor of medieval history and the Robert M. Conway director of the Medieval Institute at the University of Notre Dame. She will speak on “Changing views of Islam in Spain between the Middle Ages and the Early Modern Period". This event is free and open to the public.

History Professor Interviewed on Egypt

UE History Professor Dan Byrne talks to WEHT about the ongoing crisis in Egypt

Watch here, as UE History Professor Dan Byrne talks to WEHT news anchor Brad Byrd about the ongoing crisis in Egypt. At the end, Brad Byrd delivers a passionate statement about how essential the knowledge of History is for us as a society.

Harlaxton Professor to Speak at UE, March 21 2013

Dr David Green of Harlaxton College will be delivering the annual History Department Spring Lecture, March 21.

The History Department is delighted to announce that  on March 21st, from 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm in
Ridgway 251A, Dr David Green of Harlaxton College will present a lecture entitled  “The English Empire in the Later Middle Ages”. This is the annual History Department Spring Lecture, and is free and open to the public. "We are absolutely delighted to have David Green as our Spring Lecturer," said Dr James MacLeod,  Interim Chair of the History Department. "He has already written three books and numerous articles on the Middle Ages, and his research interests reveal a brilliant mind. He is also a tremendous public speaker, so we are all in for a treat."

James MacLeod to Present November Andiron Lecture

Next week, as part of the University of Evansville’s Andiron Lecture Series in the liberal arts and sciences, James MacLeod, professor of history, will present “To the Greater Glory of God: Religion and Memorialization in 1920s Scotland.”

MacLeod will speak at 4 p.m. Wednesday, November 7 in Eykamp Hall (Room 252), Ridgway University Center. His lecture is free and open to the public.

“The First World War killed around 10 million men and helped shape the modern world,” MacLeod said. “The war had a devastating impact on traditional religious belief, especially in formerly pious countries like Scotland.”

“Through an analysis of around one thousand Scottish war memorials, mostly erected in the early 1920s, this lecture is a measurement of the extent to which religion continued to be a force in society. This involves a discussion of not only location and form, but also iconography and inscriptions, and is one way to assess the real impact war had on traditional religion in Scotland.”

MacLeod holds a PhD from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. He taught history and British studies at Harlaxton College from 1994-99, and since 1999 he has taught history at the University of Evansville. In 2003, he was honored with the Exemplary Teacher Award, presented by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry of The United Methodist Church. He is the author of The Second Disruption: The Free Church in Victorian Scotland and the Origins of the Free Presbyterian Church (Tuckwell Press, 2000) and numerous articles and chapters of books. His research interests are war, war memorials, and religion. His grandfather was a stretcher bearer in World War I.

Established in 1982, the Andiron Lectures offer research, commentary, and reflection from many fields of study. Presenters are primarily drawn from the faculty of UE’s College of Arts and Sciences but also include faculty members and administrators from across the University campus and occasional contributions from the regional community. The Andiron Lectures are sponsored by the University of Evansville College of Arts and Sciences and supported by a generous gift from Donald B. and Jean Korb.

For more information, please contact series coordinator M. Christine Mohn at 812-488-2585 or the College of Arts and Sciences at 812-488-2589.

Fiddick Memorial Lecture to Discuss "Lincoln and the Navy in the Civil War"

The University of Evansville’s Department of History is pleased to welcome Craig L. Symonds, PhD, for the annual Thomas C. Fiddick Memorial Lecture.

Symonds, professor emeritus of history at the United States Naval Academy, will present “Lincoln and the Navy in the Civil War” at 7 p.m. Friday, October 26 in Eykamp Hall, Room 251A. His lecture is free and open to the public.

“We are very excited to have Craig Symonds coming, as he is undoubtedly the world’s leading expert on Abraham Lincoln and the Navy in the Civil War,” said James MacLeod, UE professor of history and director of the Thomas C. Fiddick Memorial Lecture. “As 150th anniversary commemorations continue, this is a wonderful opportunity for people in the Tri-State to hear one of the Naval Academy’s most distinguished professors speaking on a topic that he knows so much about. People are always fascinated by Lincoln, but Lincoln’s role as commander-in-chief, especially as commander of the Navy, is one that most people don’t know much about. They will be captivated by Professor Symonds’ lecture.”

Symonds is the first person to win both the Naval Academy’s Excellence in Teaching award (1988) and its Excellence in Research award (1998). He also served as history department chair from 1988 to 1992, and received the Department of the Navy’s Superior Civilian Service medal three times. After retiring in 2005, he returned to the Academy in 2011-12 to serve a year as the Class of 1957 Distinguished Chair of American Naval History.

Symonds is the author or editor of 25 books, including prize-winning biographies of Joseph E. Johnston (1992), Patrick Cleburne (1997), and Franklin Buchanan (1999), as well as The American Heritage History of the Battle of Gettysburg (2001). Decision at Sea: Five Naval Battles that Shaped American History (2006) won the Theodore and Franklin D. Roosevelt Prize for Naval History the year it was published. His 2008 book, Lincoln and His Admirals: Abraham Lincoln, the U.S. Navy, and the Civil War, won the Barondess Prize, the Laney Prize, the Lyman Prize, the Lincoln Prize, and the Abraham Lincoln Institute Book Award. Symonds also won the Nevins-Freeman Prize in 2009. His latest work is The Battle of Midway, published by Oxford University Press in October 2011. He lives in Annapolis, Maryland.

Thomas Fiddick, for whom the Fiddick Memorial Lecture is named, served as professor of history at the University of Evansville from 1963 to 2002. In the 39 years he spent at the University, he was a dedicated teacher, a productive scholar, and a tireless fighter in the cause of justice. His untimely death on the day of his retirement in 2002 stunned the entire University of Evansville community, especially his many former students. It was from the former students’ efforts in particular, with the support of Fiddick’s friends and the University, that the annual Thomas C. Fiddick Memorial Lecture was established.

Craig L. Symonds headshot

UE Announces 2012-13 Andiron Lectures

The University of Evansville’s College of Arts and Sciences is pleased to announce the 2012-13 schedule of Andiron Lectures in the liberal arts and sciences.

Established in 1982, the Andiron Lectures offer stimulating research, commentary, and reflection from many fields of study. Presenters are primarily drawn from the faculty of UE’s College of Arts and Sciences but also include faculty members and administrators from across the University campus and contributions from the regional community.

The Andiron Lectures are free and open to the public. Each of the following lectures will begin at 4 p.m. in Eykamp Hall (Room 252) in the Ridgway University Center.

  • September 5, 2012: “Skipping Beats: The Impact of the Illegal Drug Trade on Colombian Music,” presented by Diana Rodríguez Quevedo, assistant professor of Spanish
  • October 3, 2012: “Communication: It Seems So Easy, So Second Nature…Think Again!,” presented by Jack Schriber, supervisor of fine arts with the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation, who holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UE
  • November 7, 2012: “To the Greater Glory of God: Religion and Memorialization in 1920s Scotland,” presented by James MacLeod, professor of history
  • February 6, 2013: “International Struggles for Democratic Education,” presented by Matthew Knoester, assistant professor of education
  • March 13, 2013: “Architectural Styles of Evansville’s Riverside Historic District,” presented by Matt Rowe, executive director of the Reitz Home Museum
  • April 3, 2013: “Is Music the Universal Language?,” presented by Alfred Savia, music director and conductor of the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra

The Andiron Lectures are sponsored by the University of Evansville College of Arts and Sciences and supported by a generous gift from Donald B. and Jean Korb.

For additional information, please contact program coordinator M. Christine Mohn at 812-488-2585 or the College of Arts and Sciences at 812-488-2589.