Department Celebrates Publication of Dr. Erik Peterson’s The Life Organic

On February 2, the Department of History celebrated the publication of Dr. Erik Peterson’s The Life Organic: The Theoretical Biology Club and the Roots of Epigenetics. Dr. Peterson’s book tells the story of scientists in the late nineteenth nd early twentieth century who pursued a middle road of investigation between mechanists, those who argued that living beings were simply complex machines, and vitalists, who believed that animals and humans possessed a “vital spark,” an ineffable essence that separated living and […]

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Dr. Edwin C. Bridges, Former Director of the ADAH, to Speak on the Importance of Alabama History, February 27

Dr. Edwin C. Bridges, who recently retired as director of the Alabama Department of Archives and History after more than thirty years at its helm, will speak in room 205, Amelia Gayle Gorgas Library at 6 pm, Monday, February 27. Bridges’s topic – “Alabama History: It’s Worth Another Look” – explores the important role that state histories play in telling our national story. “State history is often regarded as lite – parochial, shallow, and the province of buffs and amateurs,” […]

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Professor Kathleen DuVal to Accept Deep South Book Prize and Speak on Independence Lost, February 15

On February 15, Kathleen DuVal, Professor of History at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, will be speaking about her book, Independence Lost: Lives at the Edge of the American Revolution, winner of the 2016 Deep South Book Prize from the Summersell Center for the Study of the South. Focusing on the American Revolution as it played out along the Gulf Coast, Independence Lost demonstrates the imperial dimensions of the conflict and the multitude of ways those who are rarely […]

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Jacqueline Avila, Assist. Professor of Musicology at the University of Tennessee to Speak on the Corrido in Mexican Cinema

Dr. Jacqueline Avila, an Assistant Professor of Musicology at the University of Tennessee, will be discussing the the corrido (a traditional Mexican ballad) in Mexican cinema from the 1920s to the 1950s and the importance of both these ballads and the cinema in the construction of a new Mexican identity after the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920). Dr. Avila is a musicologist with an historical bent, and her presentation will include video and audio presentations that promise to be very exciting. Dr. […]

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History Majors Among Mock Trial Winners

The History Department would like to congratulate history majors Jordan LaPorta, Noah Caldwell, Ashlyn Cooper, and Chance Sturup for their recent tournament win with the University of Alabama Mock Trial Association. Jordan LaPorta, a senior history/political science double major and the president of the association, said he was “a little surprised” at their win. In the fall semester, lower- and upperclassmen are put on teams together to help new members learn the ropes. The team won first overall — winning […]

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Professor Emeritus George Rable Featured in Documentary

Professor Emeritus George C. Rable was recently featured on the American Heroes Channel’s documentary series Blood and Fury: America’s Civil War, where he was interviewed for their “Battle of Fredericksburg” episode. Rable is the author of Fredericksburg! Fredericksburg!, which details the battle and is the recipient of the Gilder Lehrman Lincoln Prize (2003), The American Civil War Museum’s Jefferson Davis Award (2002), and The Society for Military History’s Distinguished Book Award in American History (2004). Rable has been featured on television […]

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Alumnus Matthew Downs Inspires Students at the University of Mobile

Department alumnus Matthew L. Downs is carrying on the University’s tradition of teaching excellence and leadership at the University of Mobile, where he is Assistant Professor of History and Chair of the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences. Downs graduated from the University with his Ph.D. in History in 2010, after completing his Masters in 2004. Working with Dr. Kari Frederickson, he studied US and southern history, specifically focusing on the modernization of the South in the mid-twentieth century. Downs […]

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Summersell Center Sponsors Upcoming Public History Internships in Community

The Summersell Center for Southern History’s Public History Initiative is sponsoring a series of local internships with organizations in the community during the Spring 2017 semester. Students will be partnered with on-campus and local organizations, such as the Gorgas House, Hoole Special Collections, and local churches and clubs, to conduct research and create projects that communicate their history to the public. Projects include a variety of end-products, such as curating an oral history exhibit, helping lay the groundwork for a […]

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Summersell Initiative in Public History Students Explore Options for History Majors

Archives, genealogy projects, museums, libraries — all of these are potential career paths for history majors, combining historical knowledge with technical skills and a love of the public. Drs. John Giggie, James Mixson, and Dan Riches , along with the Summersell Center for the Study of the South, have teamed up to create a track for both undergraduate and graduate students interested in public history. The Summersell Initiative in Public History is a year-long program: over the Fall 2016 semester, […]

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Dr. Lawrence F. Kohl to Retire

After 30 years in the University of Alabama’s Department of History, Dr. Lawrence F. Kohl will be retiring at the end of the 2016-2017 school year. Dr. Kohl is known across campus for his courses on the Civil War and Abraham Lincoln, however this was not the period he was trained in. In fact, Kohl says, “I never had a course on the history of the Civil War, ever.” Kohl’s graduate work was in Jacksonian America, but that wasn’t his […]

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GATE Students Visit Department

Last week, Dr. Teresa Cribelli welcomed third, fourth, and fifth graders from the Tuscaloosa County School System to ten Hoor Hall. Dr. Cribelli spoke to them about Brazilian history and culture, including Brazilian food and capoeira, the national martial art, and life as a university professor. The students were part of the Gifted and Talented Education (G.A.T.E.) Program. Mrs. Jodi Williams, a teacher with the program, noted that the children were learning about balances in world cultures and languages, and […]

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Department holds First-Ever Career Conversations Luncheon

Yesterday, the Department held its first-ever Career Conversations luncheon, and it was a huge success! Students enjoyed a tasty lunch and spoke with our professors, as well as experts in fields related to history: Christina McLellan, from UAB’s Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts Art Museum; Megan Payne, UA Masters in Marketing/MBA programs; Tyler Roberts, UA pre-Law program; Pam Derrick, UA Experiential Learning program; and Tiffany Goodin, UA Career Center. Thank you to everyone who was involved!

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Beach Bash at the Southern

Last weekend, the UA History Department participated in the Southern Historical Association‘s first ever ‘Beach Bash’ at their annual meeting in St. Pete’s Beach, Florida. UA faculty, graduates and alumni joined other attendees for food and drinks on the beach. It was a terrific event to close out the conference, and a good time was had by all!  

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Career Conversations Lunch to be Held Thursday, Nov. 10, from 11 a.m. until Noon.

Ever wondered what you might do with a History degree? Are you thinking of majoring, but unsure of the career prospects? If so, you’ll want to join us next week! On Thursday November 10, from 11-2 p.m., in 251 ten Hoor, the History Department will host a drop-in “Career Conversations” lunch. We will have experts on hand to answer all of your questions. And of course, free food. Come on by whenever you can. Even a few minutes might make […]

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