Exciting News from Dr. Robbins!

Hi everyone,

I'm extremely excited this week, because a book that I have been working on for many years has finally been published! If you haven't seen it in the History Department hall display, check it out on Amazon.com! It's titled James McHenry, Forgotten Federalist and the University of Georgia Press (a very good academic publishing house) has done a wonderful job. If you would like to know more about what the book is about, here is the text from the press. Enjoy!

Karen E. Robbins, James McHenry, Forgotten Federalist (Studies in the Legal History of the South; University of Georgia Press)

A long overdue chapter in the history of America’s Founders

"Karen E. Robbins’s James McHenry, Forgotten Federalist is a welcome addition to the literature on the Revolution and early American republic, rescuing a misunderstood patriot from undeserved obscurity. Her fresh and fair-minded account of McHenry’s career as John Adams’s secretary of war is a particularly notable contribution to our understanding of these critically important years."—Peter S. Onuf, author of Jefferson’s Empire: The Language of American Nationhood

A Scots-Irish immigrant, James McHenry determined to make something of his life. Trained as a physician, he joined the American Revolution when war broke out. He then switched to a more military role, serving on the staffs of George Washington and Lafayette. He entered government after the war and served in the Maryland Senate and in the Continental Congress. As Maryland’s representative at the Constitutional Convention, McHenry helped to add the ex post facto clause to the Constitution and worked to increase free trade among the states.

Around Town: Dan's Stories for the BV

           

St. Bonaventure, to the community of both Olean and Allegany, is an integral part of both their commerce and notoriety. Students shopping for groceries in town pump money into the local economy. Students getting good grades place Bonaventure, as well as the surrounding area, on the national map. You can’t go more than a block down the main streets without seeing some sort of Bonaventure poster or sign. The vitality this university brings stretches far beyond the campus.

            So what, then, would be a good way to help the relationship between Bonaventure and the local community? That’s where my weekly newspaper articles come in. My job requires that I go out into the local community and see what fun and different experiences they offer students. Whether it is flying high above the tress in Ellicottville’s “Sky High Ropes Course” or getting a food-induced coma at Portville’s “Sprague’s Maple Farms”, I have gone to an array of places less than 30 minutes away from St. Bonaventure.

            Next time you are sitting in your bed wondering what the heck to do on a Saturday afternoon, look no further than the last issue of the BonaVenture newspaper. Grab some of your friends, have a good time, and, most of all, promote the Bonaventure image while giving back to the community!

Update on History Club Activities: Vice President Nick Siciliano Reports

           Nick Siciliano, a junior history major; Secretary Patrick Tintle, a junior JMC major; and treasurer Mike Specht, a sophomore history major. We at the History Club hope to spread our love of history to students of all majors in the St. Bonaventure community.

The officers have been elected, the meetings have been set, and the St. Bonaventure History Club is going to hit the ground running this semester. I’d like to introduce our talented officers: President Harrison Leone, a junior history major; myself, Vice President

One of our primary goals for this upcoming year is to establish a History Lounge for our history majors to be able to have a quiet place where they can work on homework, relax, and socialize. We hope to be able to have this lounge in Falconio Hall or Doyle Hall; however, this project is still in its infancy. Additionally, we hope to set up a history help session for non-history majors to get help with studying, research, formatting, etc. for their history classes. History majors would be on hand to assist these students while supplemented with occasional help from the professors.

We are also in the process of planning history-related field trips to the Buffalo area in the near future. For the club’s volunteering hours, we hope to go to the Olean SPCA and offer our assistance there. If you missed out on the first two meetings of the History Club, there’s nothing to worry about! Our next meeting is this Wednesday, October 23 and will be open to all students regardless of major. Make sure you come out to further discuss our activities for the year.

Introducing Our Incoming History Majors, Part VII: Joseph A. Dispigno

Hello.  I'm Jay DiSpigno, and I'm a history major.  I'm from Port Washington Long Island, NY, but I am originally from  Santiago, Chile.  I moved to the United States when I was 2 and 1/2 years old, and then lived in Portland, Oregon.  Besides Portland, I have lived in two other places, Americus, Georgia, and Atlanta, Georgia. While living in Georgia, I became a die hard Atlanta Falcons fan.  Over the course of middle school and high school, I discovered I had the talent to draw.  REALLY WELL.  Even when considering what my major would be in college, I was deciding between either a graphic design major or history, but I chose history instead because I just felt like learning more to be honest.  In my spare time at home, I love to long-board with friends.  I am an avid long-boarder. I am part of the East Coast Skate Crew, a semi-pro amateur long-board team hailing out of Manhasset, Long Island, the next town over.  I am also an avid swimmer, and next year I hope to make the St.  Bonaventure Swim team after a year of re-conditioning and exercise.  On another note, the Falcons are the best football team ever, Valencia the best soccer team ever, and the Red Sox the best baseball team.  In the future, I would like to move back to Chile, and live in a seaside town called Valipariso, so if you're ever visiting, just hit me up.  That's mostly all there is for introductions, so goodbye, and have a nice day/night.

Introducing Our Incoming History Majors, Part VI: Brian Roth

   Well, my name is Brian Roth. I’m from Syracuse, NY and a graduate of Jamesville-DeWitt High School. I have been interested in history since about 2nd grade, and I used to be really into the Civil War back in elementary school. Starting in 4th grade, I became interested in sports, especially the Syracuse University basketball team. After that, my passion for sports turned into a full blown obsession when I was introduced to the Buffalo Bills in 5th grade. Since then, my interest in sports, particularly sports history has far outgrown my interest in regular history. However, history was always my strongest subject in school. 

          In high school, I played three sports, Football, Wrestling (quit after sophomore year), and Track & Field. In my senior year, our football team started out 9-0 before losing in the Sectional final. In my last year of Track, I threw 43.9 feet in the shot put to finish third in my section. 

          So as you can tell I’m really into sports, but I am also quite interested in music as well. My main interests are the Grateful Dead, Phish, and classic rock from the late 60’s and early 70’s. But Phish is probably my favorite band and their live shows are actually quite awesome. I went to my first Phish show over the summer in Saratoga Springs, NY and it was a great experience. It was almost like going to a rave but with much better music, and all the people are nice. So that’s basically who I am.

Introducing Our Incoming History Majors, Part V: Marshall Rice

Hi, my name is Marshall Rice, and I am a freshman history major from Bath NY. Bath is a very small town with absolutely nothing to do. It does, however, have a unique history with the flood in the 1970s and the host of the longest continuing running fair in the United States. I chose to be a history major because it was always something I was passionate about and enjoyed learning about in school. I love to learn about the past and how we got to where we are now. I’d rather remember a date that never changes than a formula whose outcome changes. I am uncertain about which path to take with a history degree, but I am looking into a few. Being a teacher has always been a strong choice of mine because of my passion for history. As a teacher, I could share that passion with other students and hopefully show them that history is a fun subject. I would love to work in a museum as well. To be able to go to work and see physical evidence of history everyday would be really rewarding.

My interests besides history include being a big Buffalo Bills fan along with many other sports and my love for music. I have been a Bills fan my whole life, perfect timing for their long slump. I also love to follow college football and the NBA. My music interests revolve around rock, country, alternative, and some rap. Some of my favorite bands/artists include Imagine Dragons, Mumford & Sons, Eminem, and Macklemore. I am excited for my journey at St. Bonaventure and can’t wait to see where my path leads me.

            

History Club Meeting

Plassmann Hall (1959 taken from here)

The History Club meeting will be hold in the Plassmann Lounge on Wednesday, October 2 at 6 PM. This is an opportunity for students interested in history to get together and plan some events.