UR History Newsletter: February 2020


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News from the University of Rochester Department of History

A Word from the Chair

Greetings from Rochester, where we recently celebrated the 200th anniversary of the birth of Susan B. Anthony (February 15, 2020) and are gearing up for the 100th anniversary of the Nineteenth Amendment (ratified August 18, 1920).

This year of milestones seems an especially good time to introduce a new look and format for the History Department's newsletter. We'll be updating you more frequently with a

short e-blast, linking to our blog for fuller versions of the stories you'll find in the email.

This change comes for two very good reasons. First, you, our alumni, have asked for it! And second, there are so many exciting things happening in the department that we hate to brag about them only once a year.

With every newsletter, you can look forward to learning about the latest happenings in history, including news from our faculty, students, and alumni. We love hearing from old friends, and we hope you'll enjoy hearing from us!

-Professor Laura Smoller, Department Chair

History students envision a future in history at American Historical Association annual meeting

Thanks to generous donations from alumni, six history majors joined professors Laura Smoller and Pablo Sierra at the 134th meeting of the American Historical Association in New York City this January. Four students shared with us what attending the meeting meant for them and their future careers. (Photo courtesy of Laura Smoller)

Read more here

News from History Alumni

Emily Hessney Lynch (BA '12) launched her own business, Serve Me the Sky Digital. She offers social media consulting and freelance writing to nonprofits, small businesses, and startups from around the world.

Sophia McRae (BA '19) published an article called "Lucy Colman (1817-1906): Infidel Abolitionist" in Epitaph, the magazine of the Friends of Mt. Hope Cemetery. She wrote the piece as a history student and consulted several items from Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation.

Richard Dalton Saddlemire (BA '66) published Rafe: Lincoln's Samurai Agent (FriesenPress, 2019). The book is based on the true story of Raphael Pumpelly, who went to Japan in the early 1860's on a mission for Abraham Lincoln. Rafe was also a professor at Harvard and a renowned geologist.

Randall Whitestone (BA '83) published "Ruth Pratt: Pioneering New York Woman in Congress" on The New York History Blog. Check out his article here.

Have news to share? Submit it here!

Ghana field school immerses students in ancient forts—and the legacies of slavery

University of Rochester students and faculty, including history professor Michael Jarvis, have been studying Elmina Castle on the coast of Ghana each of the last three summers as part of the Digital Heritage of West African Monuments Field School. (Digital Heritage of West African Monuments Field School photo)