World War III - in 1952

This story about an alternate history of World War III is fun, "In Collier's Magazine, World War already Happened - in 1952."  It captures the gestalt of the early Cold War.

One More Reason to Take a History Class

Constitution Day tends to bring out stories about how much, or little, Americans know about the Constitution.  This is one of those stories, "Americans know surprisingly little about their government, survey finds."

Introducing Our Incoming History Majors: Amanda Brogan

I am Amanda Brogan and I’m from Syracuse, NY. I went to Bishop Ludden Jr./Sr. High School which had a class of 58 students; the entire school has about 320 In school I played both Varsity basketball (I was a shooting forward as my coach liked to call it) and softball (I was mainly an outfielder but also played 1st, 2nd catcher). I was a part of the theater department, participating in the dramas and musicals. I was Student Council Public Relations and on the yearbook and prom staff. Our school was very supportive of our boys’ basketball team, they were the State Champions in 2012 and have made the finals the last two years. We had a student section called the Bird’s Nest and we were voted the best student section in our division. We all worked hard carpooling to games, making posters and coming up with themes for each game.

A Long Time Coming: Carter Bunce, Incoming History Major

My name is Carter Bunce, and I am from Phelps, New York. Phelps is a small town, situated almost equidistant between Rochester and Syracuse in the heart of the Finger Lakes region. I have an identical twin brother, Garrett, who also attends St. Bonaventure and is a sports studies major. I also have an older sister, Marissa, who is twenty three and a graduate of Roberts Wesleyan College. I enjoy watching all types of sports, including soccer, basketball, football, and baseball, and I participated in sports throughout high school. I enjoy reading, watching documentaries, traveling, and spending time with my family and friends. I am open minded, responsible, caring and have a strong work ethic which will hopefully lead me to success during my time in college.

St. Bonaventure was the right choice for me because of the community atmosphere and size. I was drawn by how caring everyone treats each other and by the reassurance that I would get to know my professors on a better level than at a large school. Coming from a small high school, it was an easier transition knowing that there was not a large number of students per class. Also, the beauty of the campus and the pride of being a Bonnie were hard to miss out on. I have never heard a single negative comment about the school; I knew something had to be special.

History Club Meeting!

The History Club will have its first meeting of the year at 7 p.m. this coming Thursday, September 11. It will meet in the first floor Plassmann Lounge. All majors are welcome. You need to like history! Help decide what trips and activities the club will engage in this year. Last fall, the club went to the Teddy Roosevelt Inaugural site in Buffalo, followed by the Anchor Bar for wings. In the spring, the club went to the Eldred WWII museum with lunch at Red and Trudy's. Where will the club go this year? Come and find out.

A Bona History Grad in the News

Diana Phalon, a recent history graduate from St. Bonaventure, recently appeared in the Olean Times Herald. In addition to teaching social studies at Allegany-Limestone, Diana also works with aspiring softball players in the area. Read the article to find out more about what she's up to!

New York World's Fair - 1964 / 1965

I'm doing some preparation to for class, particularly teaching Jules Verne's Paris in the Twentieth Century, and this led me to look at other how others have thought about the future and technology at the 1964 World's Fair.  Above is a report on what a visitor to the fair could expect.  If you have the time, and don't mind getting sucked in, there is a Youtube channel for the Fair.  I have to say, I'm in the group wanting to know why we don't have jet packs.  You can also check out "Recalling a Vision of the Future" at the New York Times.