History & Art History

One of our doctoral students, Rebecca Erbelding, is profiled in an article in this week’s New Yorker (March 17, 2008) concerning her work as an archivist at the U. S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, and the museum’s acquisition of a newly discovered album of photographs taken at Auschwitz in 1944. The article is titled “Picturing Auschwitz” and is written by Alec Wilkinson. Becky completed her MA with us last year and is now finishing up her first year as a part-time student in our Ph.D. program.

On Tuesday, March 4, the department lost a beloved former colleague, Dr. Robert T. Hawkes. Bob taught U.S. history at Mason for 37 years, retiring in 2006. He was one of the most popular teachers on campus, resulting both from his skill as an instructor and his extraordinary efforts to reach out to individual students to encourage their intellectual development. When he retired he left a long trace of students who lives were changed by his influence. As a colleague he was a trusted mentor and friend, valued by all for his wisdom and sense of humor. His passing is a great loss to the department and the Mason community.

The department is establishing the Robert T. Hawkes Professorship in Bob’s honor. The purpose of the professorship is to encourage excellence in undergraduate teaching and foster closer relations between faculty and individual students–in other words, to express a continued commitment to the things Bob valued most. If you would like to contribute to this effort, please go to give.gmu.edu and indicate in the “comments” section that you would like your contribution to go towards the Hawkes professorship. Or, write a check to “GMU Foundation” and write “Hawkes professorship” in the subject line. Please send checks to Heidi A. Bruce, Director of Development & Alumni Affairs, College of Humanities & Social Sciences 4400 University Drive, MS 3A3, Fairfax, VA 22030.

This year we are mourning the loss of one of our colleagues, Roy Rosenzweig. Roy was a longtime leader in our department and the founder of the Center for History and New Media at George Mason University. He died on October 11, 2007, after a year-long battle with lung cancer. We are greatly saddened by his passing. He was a brilliant scholar as well as a loyal friend; his contributions to our department are immeasurable. It’s difficult to imagine our group without him, yet we will move forward and attempt to honor his memory by carrying on his work—and by doing so with the spirit of graciousness and generosity that Roy embodied. There is a wonderfully moving and growing tribute at Thanks, Roy where colleagues, friends, and family are sharing their favorite Roy stories. An American Historical Association/Center for History and New Media Prize has been established in Roy’s honor, and we have just begun to raise funds to support this effort. Those interested in contributing to this prize can send a check to GMU Foundation, Inc., 4400 University Drive, MS 1A3, Fairfax, VA 22030 (please indicate that the gift is for the AHA/CHNM Rosenzweig Prize).

The books just keep coming. Last week Michael Chang’s book, A Court on Horseback: Imperial Touring and the Construction of Qing Rule, 1680-1785 (Harvard University Asia Center, 2007), was released by Harvard University Press. The dust jacket and description are available, and anyone who might be interested, the front matter and introduction (PDF format) are also available. Congratulations on your first book, Michael!

The History & Art History Alumni Chapter invites all alumni to tour George Washington’s historic Mount Vernon! Mount Vernon has recently undergone a tremendous renovation and has a new museum and visitor’s center. The chapter will host special guest Dr. Peter Henriques, a retired Mason professor of history, and author of the recent book, George Washington, Realistic Visionary. In addition to touring the mansion and property, guests will be able to attend a lecture titled “Realistic Visionary, The Leadership of George Washington,” and have questions answered by Dr. Henriques at 10:30 a.m. in the Smith Auditorium at Mount Vernon. Cost for this event is $15 per person. Payment is needed prior to the event.

Mack Holt has been busy with several publications. In the book department he has the following either in bookstores or in the pipeline: Mack P. Holt ., ed., Alcohol: A Social and Cultural History (Oxford: Berg Publishers, 2006); Mack P. Holt, ed., Adaptations of Calvinism in Reformation Europe: Essays in Honour of Brian G. Armstrong (London: Ashgate Press, forthcoming 2007). He also has two recent articles: “Philippe Duplessis-Mornay et le sacrement de la Cène,” in Hugues Daussy et Véronique Ferrer, eds., Servir Dieu, le roi et l’état: Philippe Duplessi-Mornay, 1549-1623 (Paris: Honoré Champion, 2006), 101-111 and “Europe Divided: Wine, Beer, and the Reformation in Sixteenth-Century Europe,” in Mack P. Holt, ed., Alcohol: A Social and Cultural History (Oxford: Berg Publishers, 2006), 25-40.

Congratulations to Matt Romaniello (Russian) and Mary Gayne (early modern Europe), both Western Civilizaton post-doctoral fellows, who will be taking up tenure-track positions for next year. Matt will join the History Department at the University of Hawaii and Mary Gayne will be “down the road” at James Madison University.

Again, in the most recent issue of the AHA Perspectives, the Teaching American History team at the Center for History & New Media report on their problems and prospects of using primary sources in the secondary classroom.

In the most recent issue of the AHA Perspectives, Zach Schrag takes a look at the training required by institutional review boards for his oral historians in “Ethical Training for Oral Historians” and argues that the training is not appropriate for historians on several counts.

Claudia Verhoeven received a Jean Monnet Fellowship for the academic year, 2007–2008 and will be in residence at the European University, Florence, Italy. A hat tip to Claudia