University of Michigan-Flint

October

UM-Flint History Students take on "Museum Makeover"
October 28th, 2011 By: Mel Serow

A University of Michigan-Flint history class is working with two area museums to get a better understanding of how what happened locally relates to the broader history of the country.

A display at Sloan Museum

Students from Assistant Professor Thomas Henthorn’s History 221, United States Since 1898, are working with the Sloan Museum and Whaley House Museum to complete one of their writing assignments.  The students will be conducting a “museum makeover” of both locations. The class will pick a topic, develop an argument, and then identify parts of the museum displays as evidence to support their argument. Instead of writing an essay, however, students must write a series of museum labels (those little captions next to museum displays) to present their argument.

“The point of the assignment,” according to Henthorn, “is to get students to broaden the narrative of local history by understanding how local people and places are connected to larger developments within American History. Both the Whaley House Museum and Sloan Museum provide excellent examples of recurrent themes in modern American history such as industrialization, technological change, urbanization, the labor movement, and civil rights. This type of writing also forces students to think critically about their writing. Museum labels have word limits. Therefore, students will have to choose their words carefully when making an argument.”

Prof. Henthorn points out unique writing challenges of history displays

“The partnership between the University of Michigan-Flint’s History Department and the Whaley House Museum connects the Kearsley Street of past and present, and exposes students to the history and historical resources of the community,” according to Andrew Clark, director of the Whaley House Museum.  “Of great benefit to us here at the museum is that it provides a perspective and different form of input that we don’t usually receive from our visitors.”

Tim Schickles, the director of the Sloan Museum and Longway Planetarium, has been working with Henthorn for the past year. He said the program will allow students to work with original documents and on real community projects.

“Students working in this program are not simply working on exercises that will earn them a grade and credits, but more importantly, they are providing a service to the community,” noted Schickles.

The best student work will be on display at the Whaley Historic House Museum and Sloan Museum.

“This type of assignment demonstrates what types of partnerships are available for faculty at the University of Michigan-Flint. We have numerous resources here in Flint that allow our students to learn about their world in very meaningful ways,” stressed Henthorn.

September

UM-Flint Students and Faculty Research Grand Blanc's History
September 28th, 2011 By: Mel Serow

If you live in an older house, you may have wondered who lived there before you moved in. UM-Flint students are currently working in the archives of the City of Grand Blanc Heritage Museum and older city neighborhoods, doing research that will identify who lived in or actually built some of the houses that date back to the 1800s.

The Grand Blanc Historic Resource Survey is a research project jointly conducted by Thomas Henthorn of the Department of History and Greg Rybarcyzk of Earth and Resource Sciences. In March 2011, the city of Grand Blanc hired Professors Henthorn and Rybarcyzk to conduct an investigation of historic structures in the city. The result of this investigation will be an inventory of historic properties and maps that detail the location of structures and historic neighborhoods. These types of surveys are used by local governments as a planning tool. By locating historic properties and places within a municipality, local governments are better prepared to protect historic places.

For the next year, students from UM-Flint will be in Grand Blanc conducting archival research and field work to trace the genealogy of the historic homes and structures.

“This is a great way to get research experience by being able to get out of the classroom and work closely with your classmates,” noted history major Renee Gonzales. “It’s a unique perspective on history, and definitely a unique class.” History Major Jason Lorenz says he is doing something that matters, and the research will produce results that can be shared with many other people. “So much of what we learn is from other people’s papers,” according to Lorenz. “When you do your own research, with each step you find something new, and you become more interested in it.” “We are providing experiential learning opportunities for students in a number of ways,” remarked Henthorn.

Some students are being employed as student researchers through the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program from the Office of Research. Other students are aiding in the survey through coursework such as the class assignment in Henthorn’s “Introduction to Historic Preservation.” In both cases, students visit a variety of archival repositories such as the Genesee County Register of Deeds, Grand Blanc Heritage Museum, or Flint Public Library. Students then conduct fieldwork to photograph properties and record their physical features.

Beginning in January, students from Earth and Resource Sciences will begin creating maps based on the research conducted in the fall. The contract is being funded by a Community Foundation of Greater Flint Grant.

Some University of Michigan-Flint history majors will get a unique opportunity to visit Japan, courtesy of the Department of History. The country has been selected as this year’s Wyatt Exploration Program destination, which was recently announced at a special event hosted by the department.

The Wyatt Exploration Program was organized by the Department of History with financial support from the Wyatt Endowment. It focuses on the history and culture of a specific place, or on a particular historical topic. The theme will change on an annual basis, allowing the explorations to span the history of the country and the world. The department’s Wyatt Fellow, a faculty member who is an expert in the field under exploration, will plan and organize the program. In conjunction with the selected destination, the department will offer affiliated courses, special extra-curricular events on campus, and a competition to participate in the travel expedition.

Professor Roy Hanashiro, Ph.D., has been selected as this year’s Wyatt Fellow who will travel with the group to Japan in May 2012.  Hanashiro, who has been at UM-Flint since 1989,  is active in the Japan Center for Michigan Universities, and is a frequent visitor to Japan.

Participants are selected from history majors (including TCP and Honors). Selection is based on several factors, including the student’s academic record and coursework in the field under study. However, the primary factor to be considered will be active participation in the offered on-campus Wyatt Exploration events.  Students will complete and submit an application form to be considered for the selection process in the winter semester 2012.

Most student travel expenses will be fully funded by the Department of History.

A central part of the Wyatt Exploration Program is the guest lecture series. During the course of the fall and winter semesters, the program will bring celebrated scholars from around the nation and world to campus to speak on Japan.

This is the third year the program is being offered. In 2010, students traveled to Poland. Last year, it focused on the history of the American South, and students traveled to Virginia.

For more information on the Wyatt Exploration Project visit: http://www.umflint.edu/history/wyatt.htm.

Behind the Bow Tie
July 6th, 2011 By: Mel Serow

While Flint’s automotive history tends to be overshadowed by Buick, Chevrolet played a major role in the economic life of the city. Just how important can be seen in a new exhibit researched and created by University of Michigan-Flint students.

The project is entitled Behind the Bowtie: the People and Culture of Chevrolet in Flint, Michigan.

“I was approached by a handful of community members in November and asked if our students would be interested in a public history project about Chevrolet in Flint,” said Thomas Henthorn, assistant professor in the UM-Flint history department. “I assembled a handful of students and we conducted research and oral interviews from January through April.”

According to Henthorn, the exhibit covers the creation of neighborhoods, the culture and community inside and outside the factory, Flint’s connections to GM milestones, as well as a focus on female employees at Chevrolet.

The exhibit will be featured at the Vintage Chevrolet Club of America Central Meet from July 18-22 at the Holiday Inn Gateway Center, in Mundy Township.

On Wednesday, July 20 from 6 to 7 p.m. students were on hand at the exhibit to answer questions from visitors. At 8 p.m., the two students, Jason Weller and Jeanette Routhier, gave a detailed presentation on certain parts of the exhibit.

The exhibit will be moved to the Sloan Museum as part of the 100th anniversary celebration for Chevrolet.

UAW Local 599 Fives Records to UM-Flint
May 20th, 2011 By: Mel Serow

UAW Local 599, one of the oldest and, at one time, the largest UAW local has made a gift of its records to the University of Michigan-Flint.  Approximately 200 linear feet of material, including minutes of its executive board meetings, and membership, grievances, appeals, umpire decisions, newspapers, photographs, and other records, dating from 1937 to 2010, will be available for research at the Genesee Historical Collections Center, a unit of the university. 

UM-Flint archivist Paul Gifford, who worked with the union to set up the transfer, helped move the materials from the union hall. The hall is up for sale and the union is looking for smaller quarters to relocate. It still has about 300 members.

Local 599 voted in April to give the material to UM-Flint. Recording Secretary Mike Keeler said the local decided to give the material to the university because they wanted it to stay local, and that some of the students who will be working on sorting it could be the grandchildren of Local 599 members.

“It is a unique and full record of labor at Buick,” said Gifford.  “It includes records of negotiations between General Motors and the UAW from immediately after the Sit-Down Strike of 1936-1937, documentation on grievance proceedings, UAW politicking over such issues as 30 and Out, cost of living adjustment, and tuition reimbursement.  It is full of photographs of the Buick complex, workers’ activities within the plant, during all periods.”

“The materials in this collection, once organized and indexed, will be a rich resource available not only to UM-Flint faculty and students, but for labor history scholars nationally and internationally,” said Library Director Bob Houbeck.

A labor professor in Japan who is writing about the UAW in Flint has already expressed an interest in reviewing the material.

The collection requires arrangement, description, and processing before all of it can be made available to the public for research, but segments of it should be available within six months.

April

Winegarden Visiting Professor Appointed for 2011-12

An American historian at James Madison College of Michigan State University has been appointed as the 2011-12 Myron and Margaret Winegarden Visiting Professor at UM-Flint. 

Kenneth Waltzer, Ph.D., attended SUNY Binghamton’s Harpur College, and was a Graduate Prize Fellow and earned a Ph.D. in History from Harvard University.  He joined MSU in 1971 and helped build the highly reputed James Madison College, where he later served as dean and associate dean. Waltzer also served as director of General Education in the arts and humanities at MSU. He is currently Director of MSU’s Jewish Studies Program. He received a State of Michigan Teaching Excellence Award in 1990 and an Alumni Outstanding Undergraduate Teacher Award in 1998.

Waltzer began his social history research in American urban and immigration history.  His American Identity Explorer:  Immigration and Migration CD-ROM [with Kathleen Geissler] (McGraw-Hill, 1999, 2001) follows seven migrating groups through four portals to America into immigrant and migrant neighborhoods in six American cities during the Ellis Island era.

More recently, he has become an internationally known historian of the Holocaust, focusing on American and American Jewish responses to the destruction of European Jewry, on rescue in Europe, and on the experiences of children and youths in the concentration camps.  He is preparing two books, Telling the Story:  The Rescue of Children and Youths at Buchenwald, and Children’s Stories:  Stories About Youths in the Nazi Concentration Camps.  He is also studying changes in global anti-Semitism and the impact of the re-emergence of anti-Semitism on Jewish life.

Waltzer has been in the news as the Holocaust researcher who discovered that a survivor memoir titled Angel at the Fence – soon to be a movie – was a Holocaust memoir fraud.  He is also currently consultant to Big Foot Productions in New York, which is making a film about kinderblock 66 at Buchenwald and the rescue of children and youths inside a concentration camp.

Most of Waltzer’s activities will occur in winter 2012; however, he will be on campus a few times in the fall. A Welcome Reception is planned for November 1.

Return to Poland
by Theodosia Robertson
Associate Professor Department of History

Travel As A Teacher
It’s a truism that travel is a form of education. In past eras, the sons (and less frequently, the daughters) of wealthy elites traveled as part of their education—or perhaps in place of college or university instruction. For decades “study abroad” programs have been a feature of American higher education, but usually accessible to a lucky few. The Wyatt Exploration program in the Department of History is changing that image at UM-Flint.

I first traveled abroad one summer between my junior and senior years in high school. “Back in the day,” relatives and neighbors were aghast at a sixteen-year-old setting off to explore Europe. The exhilaration of travel never left me; backpack, walking shoes and a big scarf—I am ready to go. This year—after decades as a solo traveler—came my first opportunity to bring students with me on the very first Department of History Wyatt Exploration trip.

A Global Gift
How did this happen? A generous bequest from founding UM-Flint Professor of History Dorothea E. Wyatt has established an endowment for the Department of History. Through the Wyatt Exploration program, one History faculty member serves as Wyatt Fellow and organizes a lecture series and companion events that coordinate with course offerings. At the end of the academic year, the Wyatt Fellow leads a fully-funded travel experience for a group of UM-Flint History majors.

The theme for 2009-2010 was “Poland between East and West.” Our destination? Poland’s former capital, Kraków. Site of royal coronations, home of Jagiellonian University (the second oldest university east of the Rhine), and cultural center from medieval times to the present—Kraków preserves Poland’s history as in no other Polish city.

Best Laid Plans
Our students had substantial preparation. In addition to their coursework, students attended the Wyatt Lecture Series in which distinguished visiting scholars brought Poland’s varied and dramatic history into focus. Keely Stauter-Halstead (Michigan State University) traced the heritage of Jewish civilization in her lecture, “Poles and Jews: A Thousand Year Conversation.” In his lecture, “Europe’s Other Heart of Darkness: Imperialism before Empire,” John J. Bukowczyk (Wayne State University) examined the partitions of Poland as a consequence of European imperialism before its export to other world regions. Brian Porter-Szűcs (UM-Ann Arbor) probed religion in Poland in his lecture “Catholicism and the Ideology of Homogeneity in Polish History." Award-winning writer, poet, playwright, and essayist Henryk Grynberg compared his own experience to that of other Holocaust writers in “Reality Surpassing Imagination: Why I Write Documentary Prose.”

In pre-travel orientation sessions students learned Polish phrases, discussed cross-cultural communication and what to expect in Poland, and exchanged tips on packing and currency. Travel information was stored on Blackboard, and a Facebook page kept the travelers in constant contact as the departure date neared.

Dramatic events occurred a month before we left Flint. On April 10, a plane crash near Smolensk, Russia killed 96 people including the Polish President; Poland went into national mourning. On April 14, volcanic eruptions in Iceland caused giant magma plumes that closed airports across Europe. Closer to home, hurricanes in the Carolinas unexpectedly cancelled our flight out of Flint and necessitated re-routing—we traveled in two groups from Amsterdam to Prague and then on to Kraków.

Witam (welcome)
Our first day in Kraków, a walking tour of the Old Town and the Wawel (the castle mound with its palace and cathedral) oriented students to the city with its medieval cobbled streets, enormous Market Square (largest in Europe), and monuments virtually untouched by wartime destruction. By the second day, students felt at home in the Old Town and managed on their own.

Our next stop was Jagiellonian University’s Centre for European Studies for the first of three academic sessions, beginning with a lecture by Prof. Edyta Gawron about the history of Jews of Kraków. Then, with Prof. Gawron as our guide, we walked to Kazimierz (Kraków’s old Jewish quarter), and visited synagogues, Szeroka Street, the mikvah, slaughterhouse, and the ghetto in Podgórze. Through Prof. Gawron, students learned about the significance of Jews and Jewish culture in pre-war Poland. When two days later we traveled to Auschwitz-Birkenau, students could better grasp the immense human dimension of suffering in the Holocaust and the particular tragedy for Poland as a multi-cultural state.

Two more lectures at the Centre for European Studies provided students background on Polish issues: a lecture by Prof. Magdalena Góra on Poland’s successful integration into the European Union and my own lecture on Holocaust writer Henryk Grynberg.

At the nearby Wieliczka salt mines, one of the Europe’s great mineral deposits mined since the 13th century, students learned about salt as part of medieval Poland’s resource wealth and about pre-modern mining technology.

Students rode to Nowa Huta, “New Foundry,” a socialist workers’ city near Kraków. Built in the 1950s as a counter balance to bourgeois Kraków, Nowa Huta’s geometric design and massive apartment buildings typified Soviet central planning, the goal of which was to shape the new socialist man.

In Zakopane in the Tatra Mountains, students experienced a mountain ski resort and summer vacation spot that was also an artists’ colony up through the end of the 19th and early 20th century, famous for its distinctive wooden architecture. Students also saw traditional wooden architecture in Wygiełzów, a skansen (outdoor museum) south of Kraków, that houses 18th to 20th century Polish peasant buildings, a church, and a Polish gentry manor house. At Ojców and Pieskowa Skała students walked in a small, very bio-diverse national park with a distinctive form of limestone rock. Castles there formed part of a medieval defense system called the “Trail of Eagles’ Nests” erected in the time of King Kazimierz the Great (14th century).

Our last excursion was a raft ride on the Dunajec River, a tributary of the Vistula River that runs beneath limestone cliffs in the mountains of the Pieniny National Park bordering Slovakia and an ancient trade route to Hungary. Cool weather and heavy rains made the trip quick this year (an hour and a half) on the swift river. We ended with hot “mountaineers’ tea” (tea with a shot of cherry liqueur) in Szczawnice.

Forever Changed
By the day of our return to Flint, students had bonded as a group and despite the 3:30 am departure time, they were upbeat. The final segment of our flight from Atlanta was delayed. Twelve weary students slept on their backpacks, played cards, or roamed the airport with their food vouchers. Their aplomb in the face of travel challenges contrasted with our anxious departure two weeks earlier. Students’ development in knowledge, skills, and attitudes was already observable. They had been taking notes, keeping journals, and taking countless photos; all of them were more knowledgeable about travel basics and essential interpersonal communication. They had had an experience in which knowledge of a foreign language (in this case, Polish) was invaluable, despite the prevalence of English.

Throughout the two weeks, students engaged in conversations with other History Department faculty able to meet us in Kraków—professors John Ellis, Ami Pflugrad-Jakisch, and Roy Hanashiro. During meals, on buses, and while walking, students talked in small groups or one-on-one about their experiences on the trip. Since our return, family and friends have shared the Wyatt Kraków experience through students’ blogs and family reunions over the summer. Students’ photos are still being uploaded to Facebook.

The Wyatt Exploration expanded my own life. I first set foot in Poland, in deep snow at a Warsaw train station on a cold January day. Under communism, Poland was none too safe a place for lone Americans to wander. The ensuing years allowed me to observe at close range the last decade of communism, the rise of Solidarity, the election of Karol Wojtyła as pope, and finally in the 1990s the emergence of “Europe’s other lung” as an integral part of the entire continent. My Poland years resulted in graduate study, and today teaching at UM-Flint. Never did I imagine that my own journey might come full circle to lead a group of students to the place that was once my second home, Kraków. The Wyatt program allowed me to share my knowledge with UM-Flint students, and it has been a joy and satisfaction.

Restoring Spirit, Revealing Character: The History/Theatre Project Glen-wood: Restoration of Spirit
By Bob Mabbitt

We often describe localities, particularly cities, with language originally intended to describe the personality or character of living, breathing human beings. Friendly. Hard-working. Cool. Why do we do this? What do whole cities have in common with individual people? Is this fair? Is it helpful? Could it be harmful? Do we do it for every city? Can it be done for Flint? Can it be undone? Or redone? What roles do geography, history, politics, and more play in the development of such personifications? These are just a few of the complex questions explored by UM-Flint’s cross-disciplinary project between the departments of theatre and history entitled Glen-wood: Restoration of Spirit.

Seeds of Possibility
Assistant professor of theatre and project director Janet Haley said the seed of the Glen-wood idea arose out of a 2008 conversation with fellow Flint native and president of the Genesee County Historical Society, Mike Freeman. “He shared an idea for a Glenwood Cemetery fundraiser. UM-Flint theatre students could perform short biographical speeches on the site for a fall costume dress-up tour.”

Haley was intrigued, but busy with other obligations at the time. She was also leery that such an idea could be construed as just another “haunted Halloween” exhibit, undermining the real historical and cultural merit of the place and the people interred there. Those fears quickly ebbed and new possibilities flooded in when Haley was introduced to UM-Flint assistant professor of history Ami Pflugrad-Jackisch. “She provided the information that shook my head and heart,” said Haley.

Pflugrad-Jackisch, an expert in pre-civil war American history, said, “The creation of Glenwood Cemetery, established in 1855, was connected to both the rural cemetery movement and the rapid growth of Genesee County and the city of Flint in the mid-nineteenth century.”

She explained how the rural cemetery movement “developed in response to the nation’s rapid industrial urbanization and population growth,” and how, “Antebellum urban planners and landscape architects designed rural cemeteries to be peaceful and picturesque outdoor spaces where people could go to escape the noise, filth, and pollution of urban life.” The rural cemetery movement is credited with laying the physical and philosophical foundation for the American park system that gained steam after the civil war.

Today, creation of public spaces for quiet respite, communal recreation, and reconnecting with nature and neighbors is once again at the forefront of public policy and urban planning discussions. The Ginsberg Center at U-M Ann Arbor has recognized the undying role of such places in promoting the health, vibrancy, and quality of life of all communities, and awarded the Glen-wood project a 2010 Arts of Citizen fellowship to increase awareness and action around the issue in the Flint area.

Research & Development
So how does one begin to weave together broad themes like rural cemeteries, local history, and individual and community identity? How do you make them relevant to Flint’s present and future? And as difficult as each of those notions is to tackle separately, how does one do justice to each as distinct ideas, as well as blend them seamlessly into a new whole—within the format of an outdoor theatrical performance?

First, professor Pflugrad-Jackisch had history students in last winter semester’s “Sin, Salvation, and Celebrity in Early America” class dive into the lives of the men and women buried at Glenwood cemetery. “As part of the class, students did a series of short papers that were kind of like encyclopedia entries,” said Pflugrad-Jackisch. “They went to the university archives and did firsthand research to put together biographies of the people who were buried there, but also of the history of Flint. The idea was to give the theatre students detailed profiles of local individuals, as well as historical context of what was happening in Flint throughout various periods.”

Pflugrad-Jackisch said the fact that their research would be used to craft an original theatrical production fostered a deeper examination of the very essence of the study of history. “It made them think seriously about the discipline of the history. As they put together these documents about the people who are buried at Glenwood cemetery, one of the questions they kept asking was, 'What are the theatre students going to do with this?' How creative were they going to be? Because for historians, there is a limit. There are facts. There are firsthand accounts. There is some interpretation, but the aim is to reduce the amount of grey area. So how are these very creative people going to take this evidence and turn it into a theatre production and still stay true to the facts?”

Haley said, “When the theatre students who were part of the writing team received the research papers from the history students, we had conversations about how to use their work. We took a step back and acknowledged that these students had already had discussions and made decisions about what was important to include and emphasize. We wanted to respect and reflect their work.”

For Haley’s writing team, the research supplied by their classmates in the history department was a wealth of useful detail and inspiration for creativity. Yet with so much material and so many potential directions—not to mention the special considerations for the outdoor environment—the synthesizing of it all would be a challenge. Haley said, “One of the biggest challenges with a project like this is defining parameters. Some basic considerations, like it can only be 90 minutes because it gets dark, help create those limits. But also, with so much history, so many great stories, it cannot be about everything. We can’t include every detail of every individual’s story. So you have to start thinking about other connections, other vehicles and devices to help achieve the same effect and convey the same ideas.”

Haley added, “This project is made collaboratively. It’s not one person sitting at home on the computer writing scenes and dialogue. This project is inspired by the place. We come here and we experience, observe, and absorb the physical aspects of the space, along with the historical research. We discuss the ideas, connections, and feelings conjured up by that coming together of the physical with the more cerebral—and more soulful.”

The writing team explored symbolism, particularly the symbols used in rural cemeteries of the era, and creative character development as ways to link themes together. The team eventually landed on the idea of having real and fictional characters represent the ethos and other dynamics by which Flint had been shaped throughout the years.

E.H. Thompson became the inspiration for a character named “Nostalgia.” Thompson, whose leadership was instrumental in the construction of the first plank road between Flint and Saginaw and the establishment of the Michigan School for the Deaf, was also Michigan’s preeminent Shakespeare enthusiast of the time. He donated his private Shakespeare collection to the founding of U-M Ann Arbor’s Shakespeare library.

Other characters, or “Spirits of the Age,” were developed as composites of broader ideas, rather than as representations based on real people. Theatre student Josh Clark played the role of “Chance,” described in the playbill as, “a laborer who married above his station; one who falls as society rises.” Clark said the Glen-wood project was “more challenging than some of the other productions I’ve been involved with. There are more considerations in need of more brainstorming. Like how are you going to get the audience here? How are they going to move through the space? And how will our scenes move in and around them?”

As part of the solution to such logistical concerns, as well as part of the solution for how they could bring Flint’s present and future into the narrative, the writers and actors again drew inspiration from place, symbolism, and creative character conception. Haley said, “The gift of this project is actually in the unexpected. Peter Lemelin, the sexton here, and his family call this place home. His daughters play here. This is their backyard. When Charlotte zooms through on her pink bike, and we’re rehearing a scene, there’s this moment when the 19th century and the 21st century intersect. We’re keeping things like that in the show.”

One of the most poignant examples of how such junctions were brought into the performance could be seen in the character “Chloe,” played by theatre student Jessica Flemming. Chloe was described in the playbill as “an isolated poet and private history buff.” She lived in the here and now, and gave voice to the idea that the ideals represented by the characters of yesteryear did not die with them. She saw them as very much alive in individuals, and the entire Flint community, to this day.

The inspiration for Chloe was a blend of historical biography, symbolism, place, and the desire to find a way to crystalize everything the Glen-wood project was about. Haley remembers being struck by the beauty and power of the monument marking the Morrison family’s resting place at the rear of the cemetery on one of her first visits to Glenwood. Chloe Morrison was a poet whose writings often focused on the future, possibility, and hope. The monument itself portrays a young woman with her head lifted towards the horizon, one hand on her heart, and her other hand (now broken) grasping an anchor at her side. Through their research, Haley and her team learned that the anchor was a commonly used symbol of the time, representing hope. She said, “One of the main themes of this project is hope, and that hope is active. There’s the anchor, and the rope casts out while the ship is at sea, but it’s still anchored. That action and that tension of the rope is still there, and still positive, still engaging, and still nurturing.”

Reward
Beth Brooks, a recently retired teacher from Grand Blanc and current graduate student in the MLS Community and Theatre program, was the leader of the writing team and deeply involved with research as well. Brooks and fellow community and theatre grad student Philip Barnhart played the roles of “sacred and profane” tour guides for the performance. Barnhart’s character was “Reverend Memory; clergyman who stands for decorum and truth.” Brooks’ character was the “Pioneer Spirit of Polly Todd; a tavern keeper who adores the anecdotal.” As an educator herself, Brooks found the project to be an ideal model of experiential learning.

Brooks also believes the deeper messages put forth about how individuals interact with their community and their community’s past, present, and future have great educational value in their own right. “I’m hoping I can entice a number of my former students to come to the performance,” she said. “They tend to separate themselves from the city. Yet there is such a rich heritage here. There are so many ties here—not just to the auto industry, but to government and politics and culture. There are so many examples of people of all kinds who stepped up and took leadership roles throughout the early years of this area’s history. I think they should learn about that. It might help motivate them to become more civically engaged in their community today. It certainly has done that for me.”

The Historical Society of Michigan
2011 History Skills Workshop Series
 
Educational opportunities for small to medium sized historical organizations and interested history advocates.
 
The Historical Society of Michigan (HSM) has always provided training and educational workshops as we fulfill one of our main mission areas to support local historical organizations. With the move to our new office in Lansing we now also have on-site space for educational and training events in our new Education Room.  These will compliment the ongoing workshops we do around the state and those in conjunction with our conferences.  Please join us for one or more of these training opportunities – to obtain skills you can take back and apply in your local museum, historical organization or maintaining your own collections.

If you are a personal member of HSM or represent an organization that itself is a member of the Society the cost for attending any workshop listed below is $35.  Non-members may also attend for $70 (*includes a one-year membership).  All workshops are held 9 am to noon at the HSM main office at 5815 Executive Dr., Lansing, Michigan.  To register for a workshop visit http://www.hsmichigan.org/workshops.php or call toll-free (800) 692-1828.
 
Friday May 20, 2011
Basic Archival Skills
Kristen Lynn Chinery, Walter Reuther Library, Wayne State University
 
This workshop is designed for small museums and other historical organizations that struggle with how to collect, organize, maintain and make available archival materials in their collections.  The presenter will discuss best practices in a variety of areas including donor documentation, arrangement and description issues, how to handle photographs, public access issues and much more.
 
Friday June 3, 2011
Basic Curatorial Skills for Small Museums and Historical Societies
Robert Myers, Berrien County Historical Association
 
Many small museums and historical societies struggle with basic curatorial issues related to their artifact, textile, archival and other collections. Collections management on a limited budget poses many challenges.  This workshop will address a wide variety of storage, preservation, cataloging and legal issues, and is led by a professional curator.     
 
Friday, July 15, 2011
Marketing and Branding for Small Historical Organizations
Patricia Majher, Michigan History magazine
 
History museums face increasing competition not only from other museums, but from other forms of entertainment such as casinos, shopping excursions, winery tours, and more. These competitors—with their big marketing budgets—can negatively impact small museums the most. But with the thoughtful application of basic marketing rules and tools, a small museum with limited means can not only survive, but thrive in this environment.
 
Friday, July 29, 2011
How to Successfully Publish your History Book
Thomas Vranich, Bookability
 
All of the necessary steps in planning your book project, including creating financial and production goals, what material to include, how to illustrate, defining your market, developing a work-plan, and marketing the volume to the public. 
 
Friday, September 30, 2011
 Historic Books: How to Identify, Mend, Collect and Care for Valuable Volumes
Jay Platt, Westside Bookshop
 
Do you work with or collect old or collectable books?  This workshop will discuss how to identify valuable volumes, issues related to book collecting, storage considerations, basic mending techniques that is archivally safe, building a library, how to care for books, cataloging, and many other issues that are a special concern for historical societies, and book collectors.
 
Friday, September 9, 2011
Fading Photos: How to Identify, Scan, Restore & Archive Historic Photographs
Robert Meyers, Berrien County Historical Association
 
The Fading Photos workshop will assist small museums, historical societies, and interested collectors to both identify and preserve their historic photographs. The presenter will review basic conservation techniques for damaged images, type identification for early photographs, how to avoid deterioration of your images, storage recommendations, digital scanning for access, and how to approach cataloging issues.  There will also be plenty of time for workshop participants to ask questions and have hands-on experiences.
 
To register for a workshop visit http://www.hsmichigan.org/workshops.php or call toll-free (800) 692-1828.
 
The Historical Society of Michigan, established in 1828, is the state’s oldest cultural organization. It helps to connect Michigan’s past to students, educators, historical organizations and the public through education programs, conferences, publications, awards, workshops, referral services, networking opportunities, and support for local history organizations.
 
The Historical Society of Michigan
5815 Executive Dr.
Lansing, MI 48911
Phone: (517) 324-1828
FAX: (517) 324-4370
Email: hsm@hsmichigan.org
Website: www.hsmichigan.org

March

8th Annual History Quiz Night

With an attendance of over 150 people, the 8th Annual History Quiz Night was a great evening of competition and camaraderie held on March 25, 2011 at the Firkin and Fox Bar and Grill in Flint, Michigan.

A speical thanks to those who contirbuted door prizes for this year's event:

School of Management
Alumni Relations and Development
The Lunch Studio
Brown Sugar Cafe
The University of Michigan-Flint Bookstore
Aida's
Jilly's Pizza
The Sloan Museum
Flint City T-Shirts

For more information, please see the History Quiz Night website at the following link: http://www.umflint.edu/history/quiznight.htm

Guest Lecturer, Dr. Barry Machado lectures on "The Genius of the Marshall Plan"

February

George Washington Entrepreneur Internship Summer Program:

The Department of Historic Trades at George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate is currently accepting applications for its George Washington: Entrepreneur Internship program. Internships are offered at two living history sites:  George Washington: Pioneer Farmer site or George Washington's Distillery & Gristmill.  These residential internships will run from June 6 through August 12, 2011.   These programs have been generously funded through the support of foundations honoring Ezra Taft Benson and Russell G. Mawby, and by the Caterpillar Foundation and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

The George Washington: Pioneer Farmer exhibition area is a four-acre working farm site that interprets Washington’s innovation in the promotion of sustainable agriculture.  George Washington’s Distillery & Gristmill site, which is located three miles from the main Estate, highlights the industrial aspects of Mount Vernon.  The reconstructed gristmill is fully functional, utilizing water power to operate millstones grinding corn and wheat. The gristmill is equipped with an Oliver Evans automated milling system for processing flour.  The site also is home to a reconstruction of Washington’s whiskey distillery.  The distillery is also fully functional and demonstrations are conducted throughout the season.  

Open to college students, ages 18-22, these internships are highly competitive. Mount Vernon will select up to six students to participate during the summer 2011.  These internships offer students the unique opportunity to join the staff in Historic Trades and become immersed in 18th-century history while actually living on the grounds of George Washington’s estate.  Interns working at these sites will be required to wear period clothing in all types of weather. All interns will receive extensive training in interpretive methodology and historical content. Key topics will include 18th^-century economics and agricultural methods, distilling and milling, and the lives of the Mount Vernon slaves.

All students accepted into the program will receive round-trip transportation to Mount Vernon, housing on the estate, and a weekly stipend of $200.  Every student will work a five-day, forty-hour per week schedule, which will include every other weekend.  Participating interns also will be required to complete a research project.  As representatives of Mount Vernon, interns are required to adhere to Mount Vernon’s code of conduct and personnel policies.  Mount Vernon will be happy to work with colleges and universities to ensure that, if applicable, course credit requirements are met.

Located 16 miles south of Washington, DC, Mount Vernon is the most visited historic estate in America - welcoming over one million visitors annually.  The Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, which has maintained the home of Washington since 1858, currently owns 500 of Washington’s original 8,000 acres – 50 of which are open to the public.  To learn more about theses internships and to download an application, students can visit www. mountvernon.org., click on Learn, click on Students and Teachers and then choose Be an Intern from the menu on the right side of the page.

We are looking for highly motivated students who will enjoy the challenges and benefits of participating in this program.  We will be happy to discuss the internship in more detail with you and any students who are interested in applying.  Completed applications must be returned to Mount Vernon by February 15, 2011 for consideration.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Intern Coordinator (703)799-8611 PFGMInterns@ mountvernon.org or me (703)799-6805.

http://www.mountvernon.org/learn/teachers_students/index.cfm/ss/111/

January

UM-Flint Students Help Preserve Buick’s History
January 10th, 2011 By: Mel Serow

Sloan Museum’s Buick Gallery and Research Center houses the history of the once Flint-based Buick Motor Division. Each semester, the staff of the center welcome history students from the University of Michigan-Flint for a unique learning experience as Collections Management Interns. Interns receive supervised, hands-on experience working directly with the faculty and staff, curating the museum’s collection of records that chronicle the history of the carmaker.  

Staff members provide the most direct supervision working with the interns on defined projects as part of the learning strategy developed by the interns’ faculty supervisor. Over the course of one semester, students complete 100 hours of supervised work, learning methods in museum practices and records management.

“The more history I’ve learned as I earn my degree, the more I’ve become convinced that I want to pursue a career working in a museum.” recalled Angela Passarelli, UM-Flint’s fall 2010 collections intern. She was especially excited about the skills she learned throughout the course of her internship. “I’m not sure if [automotive] history will be my focus, but the internship has provided me with the kind of experience that I can use no matter what type of history or museum I work in.”

Angela’s learning experience is precisely what members of the Buicktown Chapter of the Buick Club of America were thinking of when they partnered with the University of Michigan-Flint’s History Department.  It is through the generosity of the Buick Club that students are able to earn a stipend for their internships.

“This type of compensation is especially critical for students these days,” according to Faculty Supervisor and History Professor Thomas Henthorn. “In addition to their studies, a large number of our students are also working. Without this type of compensation, many of our students would not be able to take advantage of the significant experience an internship such as the Buick Collections Intern.”

Jane McIntosh, curator of collections at the Sloan Museum’s Buick Gallery can attest to the value of the internship.

“It is really a fabulous partnership,” says McIntosh. “I know the students get some needed career experience, and the museum has been able to organize and make its collections more accessible to researchers and collectors who have a real interest in these records.”

Roberta Vasilow, president of the Buicktown chapter pointed out the benefits and reasons the Buick Club became involved with the internship program.

“We saw a real need for this kind of thing,” recalled Vasilow. “We saw from our volunteers how committed the museum staff was to preserving the heritage of Buick.”

She also noted that as committed as the museum was, they needed more help than their volunteers could offer. It was the need for more assistance with organizing and managing the Buick records that led members of the Buicktown chapter to approach the University of Michigan-Flint, and create an internship with the museum with the explicit mission of managing and making accessible the collections of the Buick Motor Company. Since 2009, the local Buick Club has funded three internships and is working with museum staff and university faculty to assess the progress of the program. So far, the membership is pleased with the both the quality of interns and the work that is being done at the Buick Gallery.

“It has been a pleasure working with the interns from the University of Michigan-Flint’s History Department,” commented Suzanne Sherman, the Buicktown chapter’s liaison between the interns and Buick Club. Like many museums and archives, the Buick Gallery received much of its material about the history of Buick Motor Company as large donations of unorganized materials and artifacts. Since the inception of the internship, history students have been able to catalog and organize a great deal of material and make it available for the museum and the general public. It is this aspect of the internship that members have found particular compelling, remarked Sherman. “This material is invaluable to people who are working on old Buicks. As members of Buicktown Chapter and the Buick Club of America, we also hope to create interest in our hobby of restoration to a new generation of history students, because that is what we are doing–preserving little pieces of history.”

“This internship really demonstrates what’s possible when communities find ways to work together towards a common goal,” remarked Professor Henthorn. “We have scores of enthusiastic students ready to take advantage of these kinds of experiences, and the museum staff has the expertise to help them learn, but it is really the generosity of the Buick Club that makes this work.”

Henthorn hopes to use the Buick collections internship as a model for other community partnerships that will help the university expand its internship program and meet the learning needs of the student as well as the needs of the community.

New UM-Flint Course Looks at Downtown’s History
January 18th, 2011 By: Mel Serow

A great way to learn the history of a place is to visit it. American Urban History is a newly offered course at the University of Michigan-Flint that requires students to do just that, but they won’t be traveling far. They will research the history of downtown Flint businesses, and also be required to work with a social service institution to better learn about the past.

As the name implies, American Urban History examines the development of cities in the United States. More than just examining the physical growth of cities, this course carefully follows the evolution of American urban society.

“We explore how the environment shaped human behavior, and the ways in which Americans responded to the constantly changing physical, economic, and social structures of cities,” said UM-Flint Assistant History Professor Thomas Henthorn. “There will be a special emphasis on issues of race, gender, and class as key factors in the evolution of American urban history.”

Henthorn, who teaches the course, said topics include westward expansion, the industrial city, changes in urban social and spatial structure, migration and immigration, suburbanization, social movements, urban economic decline, and central city revitalization.

One of the aspects that make this course unique is the way the local urban environment will be used to explore the history of cities. The course begins with a service learning experience designed to immerse students in a local urban social service institution. Students reflect on the service experience, and are encouraged to find connections between their experience and past urban institutions designed to address human need. They continue to engage the local urban environment in the second half of the course through a research project that will explore businesses along Saginaw Street in downtown Flint. Several local businesses have agreed to participate in research projects in which students will trace the history of their space. In addition to producing a research paper, the students will be producing a poster that tells the history of that space, linking its past use with its present use. The poster will be displayed in the local business.

“This course would be appealing to history majors interested in exploring a unique aspect of local history or urban history,” according to Henthorn. “In addition, students who have general interest in urban studies, social history, including the intersections of race, class, and gender with the culture and politics of urban life would also find this class engaging and interesting.”

Fourth Intern is set to begin working at the Sloan Museum

The History Department is proud to announce that Jessica Woodruff has been selected as the fourth Intern at the Sloan Museum.

November

The History Department is proud to announce that Angela Passarelli has been selected as the third Intern at the Sloan Museum.

September

Wyatt Kick-Off Event

"The Old South, An American Story" was announced as the theme for the 2010-11 Wyatt Exploration Program. The travel expedition will take place this May in Virginia.

July

Community-Based, Site-Specific Theatre Project Invites You to Discover Glenwood Cemetery
July 15th, 2010 By: Mel Serow

Under the inspiring motto of “reveal place, revive history, restore spirit,” UM-Flint faculty, students and community partners cordially invite the public to participate in a sneak preview of a unique theatre experience entitled “Glen-Wood, Restoration of Spirit”.  This original project is a site-specific event engaging the community with a nearly forgotten Flint historical site, Glenwood Cemetery.

In 1857, Glenwood was established as a rural cemetery, a public, park-like place for all residents to escape the hustle and bustle of urban life.  It was created as a place to stroll, to picnic, to breathe clean air.  It was a place to gather with family and friends in gentle recreation.  It was a place to lay ancestors to rest, as well as daily troubles.

The grave headstones at Glenwood have the names of many of the captains of Flint industry, state governors, and congressmen. It is also the final resting place of automotive pioneer and philanthropist Charles Stewart Mott. Through the stories and biographies of the people buried at Glenwood, this unique theatrical production will weave the history of Flint and Genesee County.

An upcoming gathering will be a unique opportunity for the public to come together with the cast, creative team members, and community partners for conversation and feedback about the project. Community stories, memories, questions, and experiences will contribute to “the making of” and will help shape the script!

What: Sneak Preview and Community Conversation, “Glen-wood, Restoration of Spirit”
Where: Glenwood Cemetery, 2500 W. Court Street, Flint, MI 48503
When: August 7,  2010, 2-5 p.m.

It is said that to shape our future we must know our past, and “Glen-wood, Restoration of Spirit” does just that: it gives us a glimpse into how Glenwood Cemetery was established as a park-like place in 1857 to stroll, to ride bikes, to picnic, to breathe clean air.  While raising awareness of the cemetery as a beautiful downtown park, the project also showcases the history of Flint’s founding fathers, increases community spirit and pride, and it revives the 19th century intentions of park use within our 21st century community.

This fall, twilight performances will take place Thursdays-Sundays from September 23 to October 3, 2010 on the grounds of Glenwood Cemetery. Each performance ends with refreshments and conversation.  Tickets will be available in September by calling UM-Flint Theatre Box Office: 810-237-6520.  Limited availability.

Help us raise awareness for this treasure of local history and outdoor beauty with community-based, community-created performance. Be a part of Flint’s magnificent past by participating in this site-specific project, and get ready to experience the experience!

Awarded an Arts of Citizenship fellowship from the Ginsberg Center, UM-Ann Arbor –and the first of its kind to be awarded to the Flint campus—this project seeks to make theatre for community, with community memory.

Community-Based, Site-Specific Theatre Project Invites You to Discover Glenwood Cemetery

June

Dr. Theodosia Robertson was the recipient of the Distinguished Service Award for 2010. The award for distinguished service is available to recognize outstanding faculty performance for significant service on campus and/or university wide activities or leadership activities in professional associations at UM-Flint. Dr. Robertson was also the recipient of the Teaching Excellence Award in 2006.

Pictured below is Dr. Robertson along with Dr. Mohamed Daassa, the recipient of the Dr. Matthew Hilton-Watson Distinguished Professorship Award for 2009.

May

Rachel McNinch, student intern selected during the Winter 2010 semester, reflects on her experience at the Buick Gallery in an e-mail to her supervisor.

"Hello! Ok for the short report on my time at the Gallery. First let me say that this experience has been amazing! I'm had so much fun working at the Gallery. I have learned so much. I've liked working at the Gallery so much that this summer I plan on coming in to do volunteer work, just for fun and to keep be busy.

So what have I been working on and what have I done? Well most of my time has been spent cataloging Buick files. I looked the information up on the computer and to date I have entered more than 350 documents into the computer and archives. That's quite a lot!!! I've found so many interesting things going through all the old documents. One thing I found interesting involved the contract agreements between the UAW and local auto companies. The early contracts, from the 1930's-1940's, were very short only 10-12 pages long. As time went on the agreements got more detailed and the booklets included more pages. Some of the documents from the 1980's had over 200 pages! That a big difference! I just found that very interesting how things change over time. Other than cataloging I've also helped Sara and Heather move and rearrange the Buick files in the back. When shelving space became available I helped move some thing around. The first week or two that I was here I also did an inventory of Ford and Chrysler files. This didn't take very much time and was done to make room for Buick files. Because of this inventory the shelves that I later helped move and put Buick files on became available. I would have to say that I was working on "Buick" files about 90-95% of the time. The only thing that I did that was not related was the inventory when made space for more Buick files. So indirectly it did having something to do with Buick. Overall this has been a great experience. I have learned so much, it was very helpful in relationship to my career choice. I've learned the value of archives and when I have my own classroom I will make sure my students know what an archive is and how to use them in research. When I was in high school I had no idea how to use an archive and I think it's something important to understand. There are so many neat things tucked away in the back!!! I honestly can say that I don't think anything could be changed to make this program better. The way things are now is great. This is an amazing program and I thank you for letting me be a part of it. It has been a great experience!!! Thank you again! Rachel"

April

New Faculty Welcome

The Department of History is pleased to announce that Dr. Thomas Henthorn will be joining us as an Assistant Professor in the fall semester 2010.  A former resident of Michigan, Dr. Henthorn earned his Ph.D. in 2009 from Michigan State University.  He specializes in American urban History with a particular research interest in the role that private charities play in the process of urban development and civic life.  He also brings expertise in American religious history, African-American history and the progressive-era.   As the Wyatt Professor in US History, Dr. Henthorn will be charged with developing internship opportunities for history students and civic engagement projects in Flint and its surrounding communities. 

Dr. Henthorn will be teaching two courses in the fall semester:

• MW, 400-515pm:  HIS 221 United States since 1898
• TTH, 230-345pm:  HIS 431 American Urban History

Although these courses do not appear in the printed version of the registration schedule, they are in the electronic version and students can register for them online through student information system (SIS).

Please join us in giving Dr. Henthorn a warm welcome when he arrives on campus in September.

UM-Flint Students Heading to Poland

April 30th, 2010 By: Mel Serow

The first group of University of Michigan-Flint students to participate in the Wyatt Exploration Program will leave for Poland on Monday. Twelve history majors and four history faculty members will be going to Krakow. The group will stay there until May 17.

The Wyatt Exploration Program is made possible by the generous bequest of Dr. Dorothea E.Wyatt. A stalwart supporter of her university and discipline, Wyatt’s extraordinary gift was made to further develop and improve the program in history here at UM-Flint. She was one of the original sixteen faculty members of the Flint College of the University of Michigan when it was founded in 1956. She was the first chair of the Department of History.

Each year, the Wyatt Exploration Program will provide a unique and exciting opportunity for students and faculty to join together in intellectual exploration of the human past. Organized by the Department of History through financial support of the Wyatt Endowment, the program will focus on the history and culture of a specific place or on a particular historical topic. This theme will change on an annual basis.

UM-Flint students heading to Poland

2010 Phi Alpha Theta

The Department of History inducted 21 new members into the Chi Omega Chapter of Phi Alpha Theta on Friday, April 9, 2010.

March

Glenwood Restoration Partnership-Historical Lecture and Community Conversation

Open to the public-No admission fee

Thespians, Historians, Fans of Flint!
We need your stories and ideas. Please join us in this conversation that will launch a community-created theater production: Restoration of Spirit

Learn about the role of 19th century rural cemeteries in American society, the community/university Glenwood Cemetery partnership, and how to get involved!

Date: March 27th, 2010
Time: 2:00-3:30PM
Location: Durant-Dort Office Building, 316 Water Street, Flint, MI 48503

Presenters:
Michael Freeman, Genesee County Historical Society
Peter Lemelin, Glenwood Sexton
Dr. Ami Pflugrad-Jackisch, UM-Flint History Professor
Janet Haley, UM-Flint Theatre Professor, Restoration of Spirit Director
Hosted by the Genesee County Historical Society

This community gathering marks the first step to create a new theatre event that will happen on the grounds of Glenwood in Fall 2010. Restoration of Spirit has been awarded an Arts of Citizenship fellowship with the Ginsberg Center, UM-Ann Arbor.

Questions? e-mail production director, Janet Haley @ jehaley@umflint.edu

Glenwood Cemetery, 810-239-3222
2500 W. Court St, Flint MI 48503

February

Poetry Under the Stars

Please join History's own, Dr. Teddy Robertson, as she reads poetry in Polish during "Poetry Under the Stars" at the Longway Planetarium on March 23, 2010 at 7:00PM. For a printable flyer of this event and other poetry readings click here.  Poetry Under the Stars is brought to you in partnership by the Department of Foreign Languages and Literature and Sloanlongway. This event is free and open to the public.

New Scholarships for History Students

The Department of History is pleased to announce the availability of two new scholarships for history, history honors and history TCP majors; the Wyatt Incentive and the Wyatt Merit Scholarships. 

Through the Wyatt Merit Scholarship, approximately $20,000 in scholarship funding will be available each year to continuing history majors currently enrolled at the University of Michigan-Flint.  A similar amount of funding will be available to incoming freshmen and transfer students through the Wyatt Incentive Scholarship.  These scholarships will be awarded for the first time this winter for use in the 2010-2011 academic year. 

Please see the scholarships page on our website (http://www.umflint.edu/history/scholarships.htm) for additional descriptions of these scholarship programs and their requirements.   This is an exciting and rewarding time for the history program here at the University of Michigan-Flint and the department faculty hopes that our students will take full advantage of the new opportunities and support that the Wyatt endowment is making possible. 

January

Essay Published by Dr. Teddy Robertson
 
An essay entitled “Bruno Schulz’s Intimate Communication: From the ‘True Viewer’ of Xiega balwochwalcza to the ‘True Reader’ of ‘Ksiega’” by associate professor Dr. Teddy Robertson has recently been published in a collection about renowned Polish artist and writer Bruno Schulz.  Widely known as a leading “Schulzologist,” Dr. Robertson’s essay discusses the erotic in Schulz’s art and writing and its relationship to Schulz’s vision of the viewer and reader of his work.  The article is found in Dieter de Bruyn and Kris Van Heuckelom, eds. (Un)masking Bruno Schulz; New Combinations, Further Fragmentations, Ultimate Regenerations (Amsterdam and New York: Rodopi, 2009).

Second Intern begins working at the Sloan Museum

The History Department is proud to announce that Rachel McNinch has been selected as the second Intern at the Sloan Museum.

October

Buicktown Provides History Internship

The first internship for history majors at the University of Michigan-Flint has been established through the generosity of the Buicktown Chapter of the Buick Club of America, a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and restoration of automobiles built by the Buick Motor Division of General Motors Corporation.  Providing practical experience in the processes and procedures of a museum’s collection department, this paid internship will place a student with the Sloan-Longway Museum to assist with the Buick and Automotive Collections at the Buick Gallery and Research Center.  In thanking its members, Dr. John Ellis told a recent meeting of the Buicktown Chapter, “The generosity of the internship your organization has created will not only serve to further enhance the study and appreciation of the Buick heritage but will provide formative experiences in the education, professional development and life aspirations of our students.”

The Buick Club of America 
Alfred P. Sloan Museum, Flint, MI 
Buick Gallery and Research Center, Flint, MI

The department is proud to announce that Shannon Cole has been selected as the first intern in this program. Further opportunities will be available as the Buicktown Chapter has provided funding for four more internships in the years ahead. 

September

UM-Flint Focuses on Poland with a Student Travel and Lecture Series
September 28th, 2009 By: Mel Serow

University of Michigan-Flint history students now have a unique opportunity to take their studies abroad thanks to the generosity of one of the founding faculty. An endowment by Dorothea Wyatt, Ph.D. will also bring celebrated scholars to campus for a “Guest Lecture Series.”

Dr. Wyatt was one of the original 16 faculty members of the Flint College of the University of Michigan when it was founded in 1956. She was the first chair of the Department of History. She was a tireless advocate for the humanities and women’s issues and a university leadership award for women is named in her honor. Her extraordinary gift was made to further develop and improve the program in history at UM-Flint. The Wyatt Exploration Program is one of the ways the history department responded to that request.

“Each year, this program will provide a unique and exciting opportunity for students and faculty to join together in intellectual exploration of the human past,” said John Ellis, Ph.D., chair of the history department. “The program will focus on the history and culture of a specific place or on a particular historical topic. This theme will change on an annual basis.”

Wyatt Travel Expedition

Poland has been selected as the first country to be the focus of the new program. The selection of the estimated 15 history students, who will travel to Poland in the spring or summer, will be based on a variety of criteria, including participation in upcoming events. Students will be given a special ‘passport’ that will be stamped at each event. Most travel expenses will be fully funded through the Wyatt Exploration Program. Associate Professor Theodosia Robertson, whose field of expertise is Polish literature and history, is organizing all aspects of this year’s exploration and will be leading the student trip to Poland.

Guest Lecture Series

A central part of the Wyatt Exploration Program is the Guest Lecture Series. During the course of the fall and winter semesters, the program will bring celebrated scholars from around the nation and world to campus to speak on that year’s theme. This is an opportunity to meet and learn from acknowledged experts in their field. Participation in the Guest Lecture Series is expected of all potential candidates for the travel expedition.

For 2009-2010

Keely Stauter-Halsted (Friday, October 16, 2009)
Keely Stauter-Halsted is Associate Professor History at Michigan State University and Associate Chair of the Department of History.

John J. Bukowczyk (Friday, December 4, 2009)John J. Bukowczyk is Professor of History at Wayne State University and specialist in Polish immigration and ethnic history.

Brian Porter-Szücs (Friday, January 15, 2010)Brian Porter-Szücs is Associate Professor of History at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, where he specializes in the history of Poland and modern Roman Catholicism.

Henryk Grynberg (Friday, March 26, 2010)Henryk Grynberg is an award-winning writer, poet, playwright, and essayist. He has written more than twenty books exploring the fate of the Polish Jews in the Holocaust and the trauma after.

The bequest by Dorothea Wyatt will also allow the Department of History to expand in the near future by providing for hiring a new professor. Further, it will benefit students through the establishment of several new scholarships for those who want to study history.

UM-Flint Focuses on Poland with Student Travel and Lecture Series

On Friday, September 25th, the Wyatt Exploration Program was officially launched at an event celebrating the theme for 2009-2010, “Poland: Between East and West.”  Dining on a buffet of kielbasa, potato pancakes and perogies and enjoying the music of the Polkalodeon band, history majors, professors and university leaders gathered in the Michigan Rooms for the announcement. Following remarks of welcome and support from Provost Vahid Lotfi and College of Arts and Sciences Dean D.J. Trela, Dr. John Ellis explained the nature of the program and how students can participate. “The Wyatt Exploration Program is a tremendous opportunity,” Dr. Ellis declared, “to study and experience a field of history in depth with a scholar who has made it their life’s work; to see parts of our country and the world that otherwise might only be imagined; to bring parts of the world and the American experience here to our campus.”  “We encourage all of our students to fully take advantage of this experience, to participate and….to explore,” he concluded, before introducing the 2009-2010 Wyatt Fellow, Dr. Teddy Robertson.  Dr. Robertson lived in Poland during the last years of Communist rule. “It was a strange time,” she noted “No one thought the system would end peacefully as it did, even despite martial law.  Poles often say that today their biggest achievement is that Poland is normal.” She explained Poland’s unique historical situation, acting as a meeting place of east and west, threatened by powerful neighbors in Germany and Russia, and hosting a diverse set of peoples and cultures.  After announcing the collection of celebrated scholars of Polish history and culture who will be coming to campus as part of the Wyatt Exploration Lecture Series, Dr. Robertson described the culmination of the program in May, a fully funded student trip to the famous old city of Krakow, “the repository of national memory.”  Amongst the sites to be visited, students will experience the magnificence of the city’s old royal castle, the excitement and activity of Europe’s largest medieval market square, the depths and fantastic caverns of the ancient salt mines, the winding streets of the old Jewish quarter, and the tragedy of Auschwitz-Birkenau, perhaps the most notorious of the Nazi death camps.

For more information on the program and how you can participate, please see the Wyatt Exploration Program website at the following link: http://www.umflint.edu/history/wyatt.htm

April

2009 Phi Alpha Theta Induction Ceremony

The Department of History inducted 14 new members into the Chi Omega Chapter of Phi Alpha Theta on Friday, April 24, 2009.

March

A Gift for History Program that Makes History
March 30th, 2009 By: Mel Serow

A founding faculty member of the University of Michigan-Flint has left the largest single gift from an individual donor to the University. The gift from the estate of Dorothea E. Wyatt, Ph.D., will take the history program to the next level of excellence. Details of the extraordinary gift will be discussed at a news conference scheduled for March 13, 9:30 a.m. in the atrium of Frances Willson Thompson Library

In 1956, Dr. Wyatt became one of the original “founding” faculty members of Flint College, University of Michigan. Five years later, she was promoted to full professor. She was named the first chairperson of the Department of History, and in 1974, she was named the first recipient of The University of Michigan-Flint Outstanding Professorship Award. Dorothea Wyatt enhanced her reputation as a teacher through her research. Her publications include Julia Tutwiler and Social Progress in Alabama, and she also served as a Contributing Editor to the Encyclopedia Britannica.

In addition to her activity within the University, she brought her expertise and energy to the Flint community in a number of capacities: as a member in the American Association of University Women, Zonta Club, and Delta Kappa Gamma.

On June 30, 1975, after a most productive career as teacher, advisor, and scholar, she retired from The University of Michigan-Flint with the status of Professor Emerita. The University of Michigan-Flint Dorothea E. Wyatt Award was established in 1988 and was named in honor of Dr. Wyatt. Candidates for this award are members of the campus community who are leaders in promoting equity and opportunities for women and who are involved in the creation or implementation of programs to better the status of women.

Dr. Wyatt passed away July 31, 2007 at the age of 98.

Her love of the university and its students was shown by the bequest that she designated for enhancing the program of the Department of History. At the time the university was notified of the gift, the market value was estimated at approximately $6 million.

“We are planning on using the interest from the funds to establish the first endowed professorship at the University of Michigan-Flint,” said Dean D. J. Trela, College of Arts and Sciences. “We expect this will be named the Dorothea Wyatt Professorship in American History “(the precise field will be narrowed down as discussions proceed.)

Other uses for the funds according to Dean Trela include:

1. Provide student scholarships at the undergraduate and graduate levels for students who major in history or whose programs concentrate significantly on history.

2. Provide support for faculty research.

3. Use the gift to build stronger connections between the history program, Flint and
surrounding communities.

A Gift for History Program that makes History

With an attendance of over 120 people, the 6th Annual History Quiz Night was a great evening of competition and camaraderie held on March 13, 2009 at the Firkin and Fox Bar and Grill in Flint, Michigan. Five members from the winning team won a $25 gift certificate to Firkin and Fox. A variety of door prizes ranging from school supplies and calendars to Flint Generals hockey game tickets were also handed out throughout the night.

For more information, please see the History Quiz Night website at the following link: http://www.umflint.edu/history/quiznight.htm

Congratulations to the 2009 winning team!

April

History TCP Major selected as Maize and Blue Distinguished Scholar

During the April 27, 2008 Commencement ceremony, History TCP Major, Brian Boggs was awarded the Maize and Blue Distinguished Scholar award along with tweleve other UM-Flint graduates.

Maize and Blue Distingusihed Scholars Selected

Estate of former University of Michigan-Flint professor donates $6 million to history department
By Matt Bach, Flint Journal

FLINT, Michigan -- Dorothea E. Wyatt already left behind a big legacy as one of the founding faculty members at the University of Michigan-Flint.

But the late history professor's local mark is about to grow with her estimated $6-million donation to UM-Flint's history department. Wyatt's gift, which was announced this morning and comprises almost her entire estate, is the largest single gift the university has received from an individual. "We want this to be a transforming gift for history and its students and its faculty," said D.J. Trela, dean of UM-Flint College of Arts and Sciences. "It's such an exciting time for the department and the college to be able to dream in a way we have not had the chance to do before." And everyone is dreaming big. Possibly $2 million could go toward the first endowed professorship at the university. There is also talk of increasing scholarships for history students and money for faculty research. Trela said community outreach also will be a big goal, possibly including lecture series and conferences. One idea is to start a history-themed version of the Frances Willson Thompson Critical Issues Forum, which has featured such big names as journalist Bob Woodward. "We think this is going to make the history department much more vibrant," Trela said. "I had heard stories about (Wyatt's) great love for the university. We're enormously grateful to her. She has given us the chance to transform one of our most important programs." Wyatt, who died in July at age 98, was among the 16 original faculty members of what used to be called Flint College, University of Michigan in 1956. The scholar and champion of women's rights, who had worked at Stanford University among other colleges before UM-Flint, retired in 1975 and moved to Virginia. Wyatt, who never married or had children, had no known living relatives and aside from small gifts to friends, the rest of her estate was designated to UM-Flint. Kristen Skivington, vice chancellor of institutional advancement, said the office got a message Christmas Eve that someone had left the university a gift but the amount and person's name weren't disclosed. "It enables us to dream," Skivington said. "It just opens up so many possibilities for us. If we could express gratitude certainly we would want to. She knew what this would do." Wyatt, who was UM-Flint's first counselor to women and chairwoman of the history department, is a well-known name to many. Every year, the Dorothea E. Wyatt award recognizes outstanding women faculty and staff at UM-Flint. Wyatt was active in the community, often speaking at churches and other venues on feminism and women's issues in the '70s. She was once quoted in The Flint Journal as saying changes in attitudes were necessary so "a woman could have achievement and success that had nothing to do with making a good cup of coffee." "She would be allowed to be aggressive enough to get promoted," Wyatt said of the modern woman. Wyatt also once penned a historical biography about Julia Tutwiler, an early pioneer for women's rights. "Dorothea had many of the same values (as Tutwiler)," said Al Raphelson, 80, also one of UM-Flint's founding faculty who retired in Ann Arbor. "At the time that she was going into academia, women had to choose between a career and marriage and family." Raphelson also remembers Wyatt for her passion for the university, community and history "She was very interested in the institution becoming part of the Flint community," he said. "She was very loyal to the college and very loyal to Flint."

Dr. Rahme to speak at Educator's Workshop.
Dr. Joseph Rahme, associate professor of history and director of International and Global Studies, will speak on "Islam: Principles of the Faith" at a workshop entitled, Understanding the Arab World, Arab Americans and Islam: A Workshop for Educators.  Sponsored by ACCESS Cultural Arts Program, the American Arab Heritage Council and the International Institute, the workshop will take place on April 23, 2003 at the International Institute of Flint.

Dr. Rubenstein presents at PCA/ACA National Conference.
Dr. Bruce Rubenstein, professor of history, presented a paper entitled "The Fireman and the Mitt: The 1941 Dodger-Yankee World Series" at the 2003 National Conference of the Popular Culture Association and the American Culture Association in New Orleans, Louisiana, April 17, 2003.  The paper was part of a panel on sports history and baseball.

Dr. Robertson receives Koret Jewish Book Award.
Dr. Theodosia (Teddy) Robertson, associate professor of history, has been awarded the Koret Jewish Book Award for her work editing and translating Drohobycz, Drohobycz and Other Stories: True Tales from the Holocaust and Life After by Henryk Grynberg.  Originally published in Polish, the book is a collection of interlinked tales of the Holocaust and Jewish life afterwards in Poland. Grynberg, who lives in the U.S. but has continued to write in his native Polish, is a widely read and respected author in Poland as well as in this country.  Robertson is becoming well known in the publishing community for her work with Polish authors.

Dr. Ellis receives Rackham Grant.

Dr. John S. Ellis, assistant professor of history, has been awarded a faculty research grant by the Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Study at the Univeristy of Michigan.  The grant supports Dr. Ellis's project, Investiture; Royal Ceremony and National Identity in Wales, 1911-1969.  Dr. Ellis will use the funds to conduct research in London, England and Aberystwyth, Wales this summer.  The project has also received funding through a Research Initiative Fellowship by the Office of Research, University of Michigan Flint.

Dr. Ellis speaks at the Adult Learning Institute.

Dr. John S. Ellis, assistant professor, was invited to speak at the Adult Learning Institute at Oakland Community College in Farmington Hill, Michigan on April 14, 2003.  Dr. Ellis spoke on the topic, "The Celts of History and the Imagination."

Dr. Kennedy to present at the Economic and Business History Conference.
Dr. Michael V. Kennedy, assistant professor of history, will present a paper entitled "The Pressures of Performance: Increasing Abuse of Servants in the Age of the American Revolution" at the Economic and Business History Conference to be held in Memphis, Tennesse, April 24-26, 2003.  Dr. Kennedy will also chair and provide commentary on a panel entitled "Gender and Work."

Dr. Kennedy publishes article in Essays in Economic & Business History.
"The Hidden Economy of Slavery; Commercial and Industrial Hiring in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware 1728-1800" by Dr. Michael V. Kennedy, assistant professor of history, will appear in the journal, Essays in Economic & Business History Vol. 21 (2003).

Dr. Ellis participates in joint panel at the American Historical Association/American Society for Church History.
Dr. John S. Ellis, assistant professor of history, participated in a panel held jointly by the American Historical Association and the American Society for Church History in Chicago on January 2-5, 2003.  Dr. Ellis provided commentary on papers presented in a panel entitled, "Celtic Identities and Religion from the Eighteenth Century to the Twentieth Century."  Sponsored by the British Academy, the panel featured scholars from England and Wales.

Dr. Hanashiro awarded teaching grant.
Dr. Roy Hanashiro, associate professor, has been awarded a Faculty Development Pedagogical Grant by the Thompson Center for Learning and Teaching.  While conducting research on sabbatical this winter semester, Dr. Hanashiro will use the grant to travel and gather material in Japan for use in revising his courses on Japan.

Dr. Kennedy guest on "Faithworks" radio show.

At 8:30 AM on Sunday December 1st, UM-Flint assistant professor Dr. Michael Kennedy appeared on radio station WFNT (1470 AM).  In the afterglow of Thanksgiving, Dr. Kennedy  was a guest on Janest Cassidy's show "Faithworks" and shared his views on pilgrims, puritans, religion and the economy.

Dr. Semerdjian to speak at Arabic Influence Dinner.
As part of Flint's collaborative celebration of Arabic culture and heritage, UM-Flint adjunct professor Dr. Elyse Semerdjian will address a dinner at the International Institute of Flint on Tuesday, November 19 at 6:30pm.  A Flint native, Dr. Semerdjian specializes in the history of women in the Middle East.  Her dinner speech will explore Middle Eastern history and its influence on many cultures.  For tickets, contact the International Institute at (810) 767-0722.

Dr. Rahme contributes to Modernist Islam.
Recently published by Oxford University Press and edited by Charles Kurzman, Modernist Islam 1840-1940; A Sourcebook brings together 52 key texts of the modernist Islamic movement.  A major intellectual current in the Muslim world during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, proponents of this movement typically believed that it was not only possible but imperative to show how "modern" values and institutions could be reconciled with Islamic ideals.  UM-Flint associate professor Dr. Joseph Rahme served as a section editor for entries related to the Ottoman Empire and provided an introduction and translation of an Arabic text by Abd al-Rahman al-Kawakibi (1854-1902), one of the most influential Islamic reformist thinkers in the eastern Mediterranean at the end of the nineteenth century.

Dr. Kennedy participates in Great Lakes History Conference.
At the Great Lakes History Conference held at Grand Valley State University on October 25-26, UM Flint assistant professor Dr. Michael V. Kennedy chaired and provided comment on a panel entitled "Public Perceptions of Business and Philanthropy."  The panel included scholars from Northern Illinois University, SUNY Farmingdale and Central Michigan University.

Dr. Robertson translates and edits Bruno Schultz biography.
Translated and edited by UM-Flint associate professor Dr. Theodosia Robertson, Jerzy Ficowski's Regions of the Great Heresy; Bruno Schulz A Biographical Portrait will be releasedby W.W. Norton & Company this November.  The now-legendeary Polish writer Bruno Schultz (1892-1942) is one of the most original stylists of twentieth century European prose, best known for his story collections, The Street of Crocodiles and Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass. Written by celebrated Polish poet Jerzy Ficowski and translated from the original Polish by Dr. Robertson, this biography reconstructs the enigmatic life story and evokes the fictional vision of this prodigiously gifted Polish Jew.

Dr. Hanashiro participates in Midwest Conference on Asian Affairs.

Hosted by the East Asian Studies Program of Wittenburg University (Springfield, Ohio), the Midwest Conference on Asian Affairs was held from 27-29 September 2002.  UM-Flint associate professor Dr. Roy Hanashiro is the Executive Secretary of the organization and chaired panels on "Teaching East Asia" and a panel featuring the best papers by undergraduate students.

Dr. Ellis presents at Celtic Popular Culture Conference.

On October 12, UM-Flint assistant professor Dr. John S. Ellis presented a paper at the Celtic Popular Culture Conference held by the Celtic Studies Program at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.  Entitled "“Celt versus Teuton; Race, Character and British National Identity,” Dr. Ellis's paper concerned the relationship between British national identity and racial depictions of Celts and Germans in Victorian popular history, ethnogography and patriotic propaganda.  The paper will be published later this year by the University of Limerick's Yearbook for the Centre of Irish-German Studies.

Dr. Kennedy edits Negotiated Empires.
Coedited by UM-Flint assistant professor Michael V. Kennedy and Christine Daniels, Negotiated Empires; Centers and Peripheries in the Americas, 1500-1820 was published by Routledge Press this August.  A volume of collected essays challenging historical models of imperial authority, the book explores the complex political and economic systems of centers and peripheries in the Atlantic World and the interactions and experiences of Native Americans, African Americans and Euroamericans at the peripheries of these empires.