Newsletter

July 1, 2007

F R O M   T H E   C H A I R
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The department has experienced many changes over the past year, beginning with a change in the office of department chair. Dr. Steve Engle announced in April 2007 he was stepping down as chair after serving in that position for five years. I have stepped in as interim chair.  Dr. Engle’s colleagues owe him a great debt. Thanks to his leadership and skills, the department has grown and prospered tremendously over the last five years, especially with respect to an increase in majors, graduate students and faculty members. He helped to implement the annual John O’Sullivan Memorial Lecture series, and played a key role in housing the million-dollar Alan B. Larkin Endowed Fund in the Department of History. He also put together the inaugural Alan B. Larkin Symposium on the American Presidency held in February 2007.  He advised numerous undergraduate and graduate students, attended countless meetings, and all the while he was a productive scholar in his research field, Civil War history. In short, Dr. Engle worked tirelessly to bring out the very best in his colleagues, history majors and grad students, and succeeded. To say that I have large shoes to fill is an understatement, but I will do my best. In the meantime, Dr. Engle will return to the department as a full time faculty member, and devote himself to teaching and writing Civil War history. His spare time, no doubt, will be devoted to following the progress of his beloved Baltimore Orioles.

There are other arrivals and departures to report. We are pleased to welcome a new faculty member: Dr. Kristen Block, a recent Ph.D. from Rutgers University. Dr. Block specializes in early modern Atlantic World and gender history in the colonial period, and will be offering courses in American and Latin American, and Atlantic World history on the Jupiter campus. Dr. Kenneth Osgood has returned from a year-long appointment as the Distinguished Mary Ball Washington Chair in American History at the University College Dublin.  Dr. Osgood left the U.S. as an assistant professor, but during his time abroad, he received tenure and promotion to the rank of associate professor. Dr. Graciella Cruz-Taura has also returned from a sabbatical devoted to her book on Cuba, as has Dr. Mark Rose, who had a sabbatical in fall 2006 to work on a book on 20th century urban history.

However, we are sad to report that Dr. Andrew Frank has left FAU for a position in American History at Florida State University in Tallahassee. We wish Dr. Frank, his wife Dr. Lisa Tendrich Frank, and their two young sons all the best.  Dr. Sallie Brown will be leaving—albeit temporarily—next spring semester as recipient of the prestigious Fulbright Teaching Award in beautiful Prague, capital of the Czech Republic. We have been approved to conduct a search for a faculty member to replace Dr. Frank, and for a position in African and African-American history to 1900.

We are happy to congratulate our majors who graduated with bachelor’s degrees in history, and eight graduate students who were awarded  master’s degrees during the academic year 2006-2007. It has also been a great year for our students who received awards for academic excellence endowed by generous departmental donors, and for the fourteen students who were initiated into the FAU Xi Omega chapter of the national history Honor Society, Phi Alpha Theta.

Our donors, anonymous and otherwise, continue to impress us with their kindness and generosity. In addition to endowing four awards,

Mrs. Frances Edelman also hosted a delightful reception for history faculty following the college awards ceremony last April. Mr. Hugh Ripley’s generous support has helped faculty purchase books for their students and for their research. Mr. Joe Friedman’s efforts on behalf of the O’Sullivan endowment have also been remarkable. The John O’Sullivan Memorial Lecture of 2006 was delivered by Dr. Glenda Gilmore of Yale University. Her lecture, entitled, “The Nazis and Dixie: African-Americans and Fascism” had an audience of over 200.  This year’s lecture was delivered on November 8, by Dr. Nancy Cott, who specializes in women’s history at Harvard University. Her lecture, “Revisiting the Jazz Age,” highlighted  her most recent work on the evolution and impact of marriage law on the American social structure.

This year marked a great “first” for the History Department: the inaugural Alan B. Larkin Symposium in February 2007. The theme for the first year was “Selling War in the Media Age” and the keynote address was delivered by distinguished scholar and journalist David Halberstam. The address kicked off a two-day conference devoted to war in the media age. Mrs. Charna Larkin hosted a wonderful reception for Mr. Halberstam and professors involved in the symposium. The address and conference were a huge success. Mr. Halberstam’s lecture was attended by 800, and the symposium was attended by 400. Mr. Halberstam made an incredible impression on everyone he met during his time at FAU. Sadly, he was killed in a car accident only two months after the symposium. A book containing his lecture at FAU will be published next year as the History Department’s way of honoring his memory.

In February 2008, distinguished White House correspondent Helen Thomas will deliver the Alan B. Larkin lecture, entitled “Women, Washington and the War.” Ms. Thomas served as White House correspondent for United Press International for 57 years and is currently a syndicated columnist with Hearst Newspapers.

As this newsletter enters its ninth year, it is clear that the department continues to fulfill its mission of informing current students and reaching out to alumni and donors. We are always delighted to hear from all of you, and hope that you continue to keep us informed about what you are doing, and about how we are doing. We are grateful for your interest, support and generosity. Please accept my best wishes for a happy and productive year!

- Patricia Kollander

  Professor and Interim Chair

  Department of History

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