Issam Nassar has been named  Outstanding College Researcher (Social Sciences) for 2012 by the College of Arts and Sciences.  Issam’s receipt of this honor reflects his remarkable scholarly output, the innovation of this methodology, the significance of his research, and the fact that hiw work places him in the middle of an international communications network regarding Middle East studies.  Congratulations, Issam!

The Outstanding college Researcher Award recognizes individuals who have conducted research at an outstanding level among their peers.  Three Outstanding College Researcher Awards will be awarded each year within the College of Arts and Sciences: one in Division A, Sciences and Mathematics; one in Division B, Social Sciences; and one in Division C, Humanities.

On November 27 seventeen ISU students majoring in History or History-Social Sciences Education were inducted into the Mu Upsilon chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, the National History Honor Society:

Grace Egan          Brent Ferstl          Eric Girardi          Jacob Hirschman          Thomas Igyarto          Alyx Kennedy          Collin Lamkin          Daniel Locke          Daniel Magnetta          Moria McAuliffe          Sareh Ricca          Brendan Riley          Jeffrey Robinson          Eric Staab          Nathan Stein          Tyler Variano          Michael Wilkins

This is a professional society whose mission it to promote the study of history through the encouragement of research, good teaching, publication, and the exchange of learning and ideas among historians.  It was established in 1921, is a charter member of the Association of College Honor Societies, and currently has chapters in 820 college and university campuses.

Phi Alpha Theta is a professional organization for which students have to qualify, apply, and be accepted.  To qualify a student must have at least 12 semester hours in History with a GPA of at least 3.1 in History and 3.0 overall.  Graduate students must have 12 graduate hours completed towards their Master’s Degree with at least a 3.5 GPA.  Only Phi Beta Kappa has more stringent membership qualifications.

At the induction ceremony held in the Founders Suite at the Bone Student Center, students were sworn in, receive a membership certificate and honors cords to wear at graduation.

Congratulations to our newest members of Phi Alpha Theta!

History 200 is a co-requisite or a pre-requisite for all 200 level history courses and a prerequisite for all 300 level courses.  If you have taken 3 of the 4 major surveys – 101, 102, 135,  and 136 – you should be enrolled in History 200 for spring.  The course always appears full on the mainframe for registration.  That is because you need to fill out an override in the History Department office, at which point you will get a seat.  The bottom line:  fill out an override for History 200 ASAP!

For spring there are many seats available in 200 and 300 level electives, but at the same time a number of classes risk being canceled for lack of sufficient enrollment.  If you haven’t already done so, you should sign up for classes immediately when registration reopens on Monday, November 26.

College of Arts and Sciences alumnus Darrel A. Sutter has established a scholarship endowment in the Department of History.  The scholarship will provide awards of $50 and $100 to students who write the most outstanding papers in History 200, the history methods course that all majors are required to take.  It will also provide a textbook scholarship annually to a student majoring in social sciences education.

This is the second endowment in the History Department that Sutter has established.  The first provides an annual scholarship to a student majoring in history.  In addition, Sutter has established a fund to provide emergency assistance to needy students through the Office of Financial Aid.  This fund is the first of its kind at Illinois State University.  “We are very grateful for Mr. Sutter’s repeated assistance,” said Dr. Anthony Crubaugh, Chair of the Department of History.  “His generosity makes a difference not only in our department but across the campus.”

Sutter graduated from Illinois Stated (Normal) University in 1960 with a B.S. in Social Sciences Education and completed a master’s degree in Social Sciences Education in 1968.  He began teaching social sciences and business classes at Roanoke-Benson High School, Roanoke, in 1960 and continued teaching there until his retirement in 1995.

Following his retirement, he joined the faculty at Lincoln College, Lincoln, to teach sociology.   Sutter continues to be involved in the lives of students.  He is currently serving as chair of the mentoring committee for Senior Professionals, serves as a “lunch buddy” for a local school district, and volunteers in the Alumni Office to serve as an ambassador for Illinois State University.  His life is best described as one of passion – passion for students, education, and Illinois State University.

takes his graduate students to visit the Chicago: Crossroads of America exhibition at the Chicago History Museum.

Several students from History 432: Topics in Local and Public History and the department History Club got a very personal tour of this exhibition led by Russell Lewis, Executive Vice President and Chief Historian for the Museum.  He talked in-depth about how they put exhibits together, things they consider and the people involved.

According to Mike Mitchell, a graduate student from the class, “he also talked about the financial concerns facing museums; that it is realistic to consider that public funding won’t be there in the future, what the impact of that will be and the alternatives they must pursue now.”  Mike is considering a career in museum work and considered this a great experience that helped him see what his future might look like.

Brandon Goslin, fund-raising chair of the History Club said, “I learned a lot about the history of the city and was able to share information about the Chicago Fire with my dad who has a special interest in that historical event.”

According to the museum website: “Our permanent exhibition Chicago: Crossroads of America has something for everybody.  Explore the city’s history through a series of galleries that highlight artifacts, interactive features, and multimedia presentations.  Climb aboard ‘L’ car no. 1, visit a jazz club, or picture yourself in the retro fashions of the Marshall field’s store window.”

“Because when you live so close to where this history happened, you need to go experience it,” says Dr. Stump of why he makes this trip with huis students as often as he can.  Seventeen students joined Dr. Stump on a visit to the Abraham Lincoln Museum, Lincoln’s Law Office, the old State House, and Lincoln’s home last Friday, November 2.  The students look at the sites as historians, paying particular attention to the archival and historical material available.

According to Alex Bishop, one of the HIS 320 students, “The trip was great!  It was really exciting to visit the buildings where Lincoln lived and worked.  The museum was educational and interesting and the artifacts were awesome.  It was also really neat to be able to make connections between this experience and what we have learned in History 320″

Rachel Aberle said of the trip, “After being immersed in the classroom setting, it was wonderful to be in Springfield and ‘experience’ Lincoln, as he would have lived 150 years ago.”

At Lincoln’s home.

The desk where Lincoln sat and wrote.

Standing with a life-size replica of John Wilkes Booth at the Abraham Lincoln Museum

Cody Christianson at the Hall of Representatives in the Old State House. 

This is the location where Abraham Lincoln gave his “House Divided” speech.