The Civil War: Regional, Regimental and Personal Experiences

On August 1st, 2015, St. Bonaventure University will host a conference on the Civil War to commemorate the opening of The Mark H. Dunkelman and Michael J. Winey Collection of the 154th New York Volunteer Infantry. In the spirit of the 154th New York and those interested in preserving its memory, the conference organizers hope to attract presentations that explore the Civil War home front (especially New York and Pennsylvania), the experience of soldiers on the personal and regimental levels, and the intersection of popular and academic treatments of the war. Somewhat uniquely, the conference will be held concurrently with the formal opening of the collection and the Annual Reunion of the Descendants of the 154th New York Volunteers. Reunion attendees and the general public are welcome to register for the conference.

About the Collection:

The Mark H. Dunkelman and Michael J. Winey Collection of the 154th New York Volunteer Infantry includes approximately 25 cubic feet of documentary material as well as numerous prints, objects, and artifacts related to the regiment. It includes correspondence related to Dunkelman's writing on the regiment as well as primary source documents (letters, diaries, official papers) and photographs relating to the individual members of the 154th.

Submission Guidelines:

Paper submissions should include a brief abstract (200 words) plus a CV or resume delivered by April 15, 2015. Graduate and undergraduate student submissions are welcome. Please send questions and submissions to archives@sbu.edu. Acceptance notices will be sent out by May 1st.

The conference fee will be $125.00 which includes the conferences sessions, lunch and keynote address, the 154th Descendants Reunion, a panel discussion and a barbeque dinner with period entertainment. Details regarding conference activities may be found at http://web.sbu.edu/friedsam/archives/civil_war_conference.html

Housing is available on campus including breakfast in our dining hall.

Conference registration will be available by March 15th.

About St. Bonaventure University: Founded in 1858 in the interest of promoting Catholic-Franciscan education, St. Bonaventure University continues to pursue academic excellence through personalized attention that reflects the Franciscan tradition of valuing human relationships.

History Major Daniel Leopold on His Internship at the Campus Archive

After visiting places like Gettysburg and studying it for most of my academic life, the Civil War has proven to be both a provocative and extremely interesting topic for me. There are so many layers to uncover about each battle, political move, and social change that sprang from the time period that learning about it now is just as much about preserving history as it is about dissecting the far-reaching influence it has on current issues.

That’s why I was ecstatic to find out I would be able to participate in an internship at St. Bonaventure dedicated to a collection based on the Civil War. The collection focuses on the 154th New York Volunteer Infantry, a regiment of the Union army that drafted in Cattaraugus County. The 154th fought in critical battles during the Civil War, including Chancellorsville and Gettysburg.

The compilers of the collection, Mark H. Dunkelman and Michael J. Winey, contacted over 1,200 of the descendants members of the 154th to acquire all the records, which were donated to Bonaventure after Winey’s passing.

The internship has let me look through records assembled for soldiers of the regiment, which includes personal letters, diary entries, and photographs of the soldiers and their personal effects. These files provide a unique and personal way of observing a war that effected both individuals and society. The letters written by soldiers served as communication between them and loved ones, and now serve us as introspective windows to the complexities of the Civil War.

After only a month spent with the collection, I’m already impressed at how much I’ve learned about one of America’s watershed topics. I can’t wait to discover more and more as I keep rummaging through records and connecting personal stories with the immense political and social changes that stemmed from the Civil War.

What Do you Do with a BA in History?

For those of you who haven't seen it yet, in 2010, the American Historical Association published a blog post to give history majors a sense of some of the job opportunities available to them. Graduating seniors might find it particularly useful. Go here to read it!

Internship Opportunity for History Majors

The National History Center in Washington, DC offers internships for history majors or minors.

Please visit their internship page for more information. You can find here!

Fulbright Fellowship Information Session

There will be an information session for students interested in applying for a Fulbright research fellowship, to complete a research project abroad, or a Fulbright Teaching Assistantship, to teach abroad. Applications will be due early in the fall semester and the fellowships will begin the following fall. Students graduating (with a bachelor's or master's degree) in the 2015-2016 school year are eligible to apply. Come learn about these two fellowship opportunities and the application process. The session is at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 26, in Plassmann 108. There will be another session after Spring Break for students who cannot make this session.

Mary Rose Kubal

The Value of a Liberal Arts Education for STEM Majors

Dr. Horowitz recently shared an article in the Washington Post about the critical impact that a liberal arts education has for STEM majors. Go here to read it.!

Creativity

There is a lot of talk these days about creativity and the pace of change in the workplace.  Yes, it is daunting and disruptive but as historians we know about change.

Seeking Creative Candidates

You should also check out Walter Isaacson's essay "What We can Learn from Innovators."  He has some interesting things to say about how innovation comes about and the spark that comes when technology and humanities come together.

More about Drs. Marinari and Payne's AHA Workshop in January

To learn more about what Drs. Marinari and Payne did during the AHA workshop about tuning the history curriculum in January, go here. Let us know if you have any questions or comments!

The History Club is Gearing Up for the Spring Semester!

Now that the semester is well under way, the History Club is discussing which activities and field trips to organize this spring. Join the conversation by attending the club's meetings! Feel free to get in touch with the co-presidents, Harrison Leone and Alexandra McCumiskey, to find out more. You can also contact Dr. Robbins, the History Club's faculty advisor. We hope to see you there!