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The Primary Source is the official student created newsletter for the University of Idaho Department of History.
Citation preview
1
A biannual publication 3rd
edition – Fall 2014
P H I A L P H A T H E T A
The PRIMARY SOURCE
The Newsletter for the Department of History at the University of Idaho
Department News
A word from the
chair; Featured
alumnus Adam M.
Guerin
Page 2
Study Abroad
Student and Faculty
Perspectives on
Study Abroad
Page 3
Undergraduate
Spotlights
Featured
accomplished
undergraduates
Page 4
History
Remembered Graduate Student
James McNaughton
on post-WWI
archaeological digs;
Phi Alpha Theta
Initiation Dinner
Page 5
Graduate Student
Spotlights
Featured graduate
students
Page 6
Faculty News and
Publications
Dr. Dale Graden
reflects on his recent
work; Professor
Ronnenberg
awarded Esto
Perpetua
Pages 7-9
Remembrance and
Recognition
A remembrance of
William and Janet
Greeverand Robert
Brower;
Recognition of
Donors
Page 10-11
Professor Sowards Goes to
Washington
Adam Sowards shares his experience as a speaker at the
United States Supreme Court honoring
Justice William O. Douglas
In May 2014, Associate Professor Adam Sowards
traveled to the United States Supreme Court to
celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the appointment
of Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas (b.
1898–d.1980). Douglas’s widow, Cathleen Douglas
Stone, invited Sowards to participate in a panel on
Douglas’s environmental contributions during his
tenure as Supreme Court Justice (1939–75).
Over two hundred people attended the
celebration, which honored all aspecets of
Douglas’ life and legacy on and off the Court.
Many of the participants and attendees were
outstanding scholars, including law professors,
lawyers, judges, and Douglas’s former law clerks.
The opening remarks were delivered by the Chief
Justice himself: John Roberts, Jr. Following the
panel discussions, there was a formal dinner
where Douglas’s friends and colleagues told
stories about him — many of which were not
public knowledge.Sowards recalls, “It was
wonderful to hear personal stories about this man
whom I researched for a long time.”As many of
our readers may know, Sowards wrote a scholarly
biography of Douglas and his ecolological work,
entitled The Environmental Justice: William O.
Douglas and American Conservation (2009). Sowards
says that scholars have written a number of
biographies on Justice Douglas, often focusing
upon his life and legal contributions. Nonetheless,
before Sowards’s book, historians had rarely
considered Douglas’s important ecological work in
any systematic fashion.
“I think people really overlooked how important it
was to his life,” Sowards says, “None of them [his
biographers] understood how it fit in the broader
history of the environmental movement since they
were not environmental historians–they were
judicial biographers. Their interest was in the
Court and my interest was not in the court.”
When asked if it was difficult to write for a non-
historical audience, Sowards responds that he
“appreciated the challenge.” The writing
experience differed from that of his classroom
lectures or professional papers because it was a
speech, written for non-historians who were
unfamiliar with the Northwest, while focusing on
a topic apart from his legal attribution. He found it
to be a “tall order” to give an entertaining speech
that incorporated many topics — but could last
only seventeen minutes.
These challenges notwithstanding, Sowards’s
speech was well received. “It was a test for people
who knew him
about whether I
had got it right. I
did and no one
corrected me. It
was neat. It was
nice to revisit the
work […] and
“see it with fresh
eyes and to know I was speaking to his widow and
other prominent people.”
Following his panel, one participant came forward
to introduce himself to Sowards: Laurence Tribe.
Tribe is a renowned professor of law at Harvard
University. Famously, he helped write the
constitutions of South Africa and the Czech
Republic, and he even argued the controversial
Gore v. Bush case before the Supreme Court, which
effectively decided the presidential election of
2000. Sowards says, recalls that, “getting to meet
him was pretty incredible. He is one of the leading
civil libertarians in the world. He is an incredible
presence in the field of law.” Best yet, “he was
very kind and complimentary” about the speech
that Sowards gave.
Continued on page 2
2
D E P A R T M E N T N E W S
A W O R D F R O M T H E C H A I R
We wish all of our readers a fabulous close to their fall experiences and a great start to the New Year.
We should begin by acknowledging with considerable regret the loss of two people who have long been near and dear to the Department of History: Dr. Janet Greever and Judge Robert Brower. Dr. Janet Greever was the wife of the late William Greever, who was a professor in the Department and served for several decades as its chair. She completed her doctorate in Latin American Studies and also taught for the University of Idaho. Judge Brower, an Idaho law school alumnus, was the beloved brother of Nancy Dafoe, whom many of you remember as our Department’s indefatigable administrative assistant. His two boys, Benjamin and Brady, studied history at Idaho and then went on to become major historians — both of them working on modern France. Both Dr. Greever and Judge Brower are eulogized within the pages of our newsletter.
Elsewhere you can read about our distinguished alumnus Adam Guerin, who, like Ben and Brady Brower, went on to study modern French history. We also detail the recent scholarly accomplishments of Dale Graden and Adam Sowards, as well as Herman Ronenberg’s continuing studies of Idaho beer history — a subject which is best savored with pretzels and peanuts.
Lastly you’ll also find all sorts of details about our undergraduate and graduate students, and James MacNaughton relates how history can sometimes get louder than bombs.
We thank you again — dear readers —for all your support. As always, we hope to hear from you, and so please don’t be shy about sending us updates about your accomplishments.
Most sincerely yours, Sean M. Quinlan, Professor & Chair
Continuation from page 1
Sowards’s wife also joined him at the event.
During their time in Washington, they visited
many monuments and historical places, including
a section of the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal (which
was built in the 1820s). The C&O Canal runs
approximately 200 miles from Washington, D.C. to
Maryland. In 1950s, local authorites had planned
to turn the canal into a highway; however in 1954,
Justice Douglas helped save it from destruction by
organizing a large hiking path along the tow. Now
the canal is a national historic park and is
dedicated to him. This trip was the first time
Sowards had walked along the path since he
published The Environmental Justice. He describes
the experience as “almost a pilgrimage.”
Sowards is currently reworking his speech into a
journal article. In the future, he hopes that he can
continue to address his work to larger, non-
specialist audience. ~Melissa Courtnage
Featured Alumni
Adam M. Guerin
On Preparing for a Career in History
Adam M. Guerin is one of the History
Department’s great success stories. He received
his B.A. in History from the University of Idaho in
2002 and he then went on to earn an MA and PhD
from the University of California at Irvine in 2009.
Now he’s an assistant professor of French colonial
history at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida.
In his research, he focuses upon modern North
Africa, but he teaches widely on European colonial
history, French history, environmental history, and
the modern Middle East.
Guerin transferred to the University of Idaho in
2001 from a liberal arts college in the Midwest. At
the time, however, he was not sure transferring to
the University of Idaho was the right choice for
him.
“To be honest,” he recalls “I was not entirely sold
on the idea of leaving a small liberal arts college
for a large university like the U of I. They say that
students can get lost at big state schools, that they
do not get as much one-on-one time with
professors, that at worst the education can be
anonymous.”
Luckily for Guerin, Idaho’s history program
proved nothing of the sort. As he puts it, “The
faculty in the History Department—especially
professors Quinlan, Spence, and Graden—worked
closely with me to develop my interests in Europe,
France, and Empire and got me thinking about
graduate school opportunities. Sean Quinlan was
instrumental in helping me prepare for a doctoral
program and he remains an important mentor.”
When asked how exactly the UI History Program
helped him discover and explore his research
interests, Guerin pointed to the wide breadth of
coursework available to him as an undergraduate.
“Like most students,” he says “I had general
interests but did not really understand what it
meant to specialize in a particular field. Taking a
range of courses helped me think comparatively.
Working one-on-one with Sean Quinlan on a
senior thesis enabled me to focus on a series of
analytical questions, although he also encouraged
me to think transnationally and not get boxed into
a particular national narrative. This advice helped
in grad school when I moved from a more
Eurocentric approach to world/colonial history.”
Many undergraduate students can feel
overwhelmed or lost when considering higher
education beyond the undergraduate degree. Here
Guerin described how history became a serious
career prospect for him, and how the UI history
faculty provided the crucial support he needed to
pursue this decision.
“Dale Graden was the first person to suggest that I
could probably ‘keep doing history for the rest of
my life,’”Guerin affirms. “At the time, I don’t
think I really knew what that meant. But over the
next couple of semesters I learned about what the
jump to graduate school would entail and what
type of preparation would go into the application
process.”
“In this regard,” Guerin continues “Professor
Quinlan was, again, a phenomenal resource: he
read multiple drafts of statements of purpose,
helped me map out the field of history to learn
who was teaching where, what types of funding
would be available, etc. Even after leaving the U of
I he provided me with a ‘must read’ booklist to get
me ready for my first history and theory class at
UC Irvine. He correctly predicted about 75% of the
reading list for that very challenging course.
Needless to say, the head start was incredibly
helpful.”
The preparation Guerin received from the
University of Idaho History Department helped
him achieve success beyond the bachelor’s degree.
Now that he’s finished his PhD and landed his first
job, Guerin is writing his first scholarly book –
Disaster Ecologies: Rural Modernization and the
Remaking of the Moroccan Peasantry, 1904-1939–
which explores the social and environmental
consequences of French modernization in
Morocco. ~Gustave Lester
3
Adventures Abroad
Student and Faculty Perspectiveson StudyingAbroad
This semester the History Department wants to
encourage studying abroad and emphasize why
it’s so formative for history students. All across
the university, students, faculty and staff have
participated in this opportunity and our history
majors are no exception.
For history majors, one of the greatest benefits of
studying abroad is the immersion experience: you
can learn about history by experiencing a place’s
culture in the present.
Last spring, Professor Ellen Kittell taught history
in the University of Pau in southwestern France.
She says, “As European historians we can
experience it firsthand, and I can get students to
experience it firsthand. I sent them off to see
museums and historical sights, all for the benefit of
an embedded experience you can’t get anywhere
else.”
One day she could teach about a painting and then
send her students off to see the original thing!
“When I teach them like this, they get it,” she says.
Jeff Meyers – who’s currently one of our doctoral
students – affirms Kittell’s insight. He says, “I
grew up with an interest in Russian history and
literature, and when I got to Russia it was like it all
clicked for me. Everything sort of came together.”
Kristian Strub, who just graduated from the
University of Idaho with an MA in history, had a
similar experience. His first study abroad
experience was part of a class on Turkish history –
which included, of all things, a two-week trip to
Istanbul. “It’s class in action,” he remembers.
To give one example: Strub took advantage of his
year in Germany to travel extensively. “That’s why
I chose Germany,” he says. “Part of it was
heritage; the other part was its central location in
Europe.” During this time, he also travelled to
thirteen other countries, including Britain, Sweden,
and Hungary. During these adventures, he recalls,
“I was amazed to think about who was there and
what was there. It’s easy to get carried away and
day dream.”
Immersion experiences often entail learning
foreign languages – a key tool in the historian’s
trade. In study abroad programs, students often
have the option to take classes either in their native
language or in a language they are studying. For
example, Strub took classes in both English and
German when he attended a second study abroad
program in Germany in 2007–08.
“When I first got there it was a little intimidating,”
he admits, but by the second semester he felt
confident enough to take all of his classes in
German.
For his part, Myers claims that he learned more
Russian in the two weeks that he spent abroad
than he did in a classroom setting. He explains, “I
was forced to use it and it was all I had.”
Jeff Meyers in front of the Church of Jesus on Spilled
Blood in St. Petersburg, Russia
Professor Sarah Nelson, an associate professor of
French in the Department of Modern Languages
and Culture at the University of Idaho, provides
her insight as a professor of foreign language. Like
Kittell, Nelson also taught in Pau. In 2012, she
offered two classes: “French Cultures and
Institutions” and “Nineteenth and Twentieth
Century French and Francophone Literature.” She
recalls: “Originally I was going to teach in English,
but I ended up teaching in French.”
Both Kittell and Nelson taught through USAC, the
University Studies Abroad Consortium. While on a
USAC program, instructors must teach two classes.
Kittell went with her spouse Professor Kurt
Queller, also of the Department of Modern
Languages and Culture, who taught a class on the
History of English, with an emphasis on French
influence.
There’s another important benefit of studying
abroad: namely, the spirit of adventure that comes
with foreign travel. Students find that they really
discover themselves and that their lives and
outlooks change in seemingly unimaginable ways.
Foreign travel also transforms professors – and
their families. On several occasions, Kittell and
Queller took their children with them and enrolled
them in local schools. Nelson did the same with
her son when she taught in France. “It was a great
way to meet locals,” Kittell explains. “In fact, we
made friends who we still talk to.” Both Professor
Graden and Professor Quinlan have also
participated in exchange programs with their
families, adding to the great diversity of our
history program. By learning another culture and
language, you also become more aware of your
own. As Kittell explains, “Culture shock coming
back is very difficult if you have had a good time.
It is such an extraordinary experience, you form
friendships with Americans in the most unlikely
places, and here you just don’t have that
intimacy.” Nelson agreed: “Every time you come
back from being abroad, the place that you are
from looks different to you. It takes a while to
remember the familiar.”
Despite all these positive benefits, students
sometimes feel reticent about studying abroad.
Kittell says it’s a fear of the unknown: “It’s
something new, and it can be something you never
planned on even considering, but you should
definitely consider it. Especially while you are still
a student.” By contrast, Strub sees this reticence as
a matter of money. “Frankly,” he said “it added a
lot to my student debt but I want people to know
that because it is a small cost in comparison to
what I got from it.”
The good news is that the University of Idaho
offers many opportunities for its students to
participate in exchange programs, including
USAC. Strub studied abroad through Lexia
International, while Myers acted completely
independently and created his own program! You
should know that study abroad programs offer
students coursework designed to appeal to their
level of comfort.
If financial concerns keep you from studying
abroad, remember that the University of Idaho
offers scholarships and other forms of financial
aid. It’s something to consider, because it is such a
formative and life-changing experience!
Follow the link to learn more about the study
abroad program here on campus:
http://www.uidaho.edu/international/study-
abroad
~Ben Bridges
4
U N D E R G R A D U A T E S P O T L I G H T
Rachael Guenthner Rachel Guenthner is originally from Nampa, Idaho. She’s now a senior,
double-majoring in History and in English.
Rachel is a newly initiated member of the History Honors Society, Phi
Alpha Theta. When asked about why she decided to join, she said, “I
wanted to join the cool kid’s club. Phi Alpha Theta has some impressive
people in it. I also wanted to be with other people who are as interested in
studying history as I am.” She also joked that it looks good on a resume.
Her next step in life will be to go on to graduate school and follow her
interest in literary theory; she hopes to stay here at the University of Idaho.
She explained, “It’s because I enjoy the development and definitions of the
lenses through which we see literature and history, how they evolve and
cope with the advances of modernity.”
Ideally, Rachel wants to become a college professor. She hopes to be one of
those professors who inspires amongst her students a passion for the social
sciences and humanities and who conveys their importance: not just as
school subjects, but as lifelong tools.Whether it is here at the University of
Idaho or elsewhere, she hopes to find a program where teaching is
integrated into the program, and where, from day one, she must stand on
her own two feet.
Currently, Rachel finds herselfy fascinated by the Middle Ages and the
Reformation. She has already taken over six classes in this area of history
and she plans to take Professor Kittell’s class on the Reformation in spring
2015. Rachel explains her interests, “With the Middle Ages, it feels so simple
with the glazed over approach that textbooks give it, but when you really
get into it there is so much going on, it’s pretty unbelievable.” As for the
Reformation, she elaborates, “The Reformation is one of the defining
moments in human history. It is this division where Europe stops being a
collective; it is a division of humanity, faith, and so much more. For me, it
feels like everything comes out of it.”
In addition to her involvement with Phi Alpha Theta, Rachael volunteers as
a radio DJ for the University of Idaho’s radio station. This semester marks
her third year on the air. Her show is a two and a half hour oldies program
called “The Time Machine.” “I try and make old music accessible for a
younger audience,” she explains. She encourages listeners to call in with
requests, “because there’s nothing cooler than having your song played on
the radio.”
Tune into “Rockin’ Rachael and the Time Machine” on Sunday mornings
from 9:30 am to 12:00 pm, on the University of Idaho radio station 89.3 FM.
Gustave Lester Gustave Lester is from Caldwell, Idaho. After completing his first two years
of his undergraduate degree at North Idaho College, he transferred to the
University of Idaho last fall and is now a senior.
In spring 2014, Gustave was awarded the Best Undergraduate Paper prize at
the regional Phi Alpha Theta conference in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. His paper,
“The Spokane Flood Controversy: Appropriate Responses to Challenging
Ideas” examines the controversy in the geological community concerning
the origins of the landscape of eastern Washington. He says, “The
controversy started in the 20s and wasn't resolved until the 60s. I explored
the issues surrounding J Harlen Bretz’s Spokane Flood Hypothesis. It wasn’t
accepted at the time he proposed it, and I explored whether that rejection
was justified, even though it was proven right later.” Gustave cites his
interest in the Spokane flood controversy as being part of his interest in the
history of science. Excitedly, he explains, “The paper was a really nice case
study in shifting scientific paradigms.”
Gustave enjoyed the Phi Alpha Theta conference last spring. He found it
formative to connect with friends and colleagues and to share research in a
friendly but rigorous environment. In 2015, he hopes to attend the next
regional Phi Alpha Theta Conference as well as the National Conference on
Undergraduate Research at Eastern Washington University.
Gustave says that he envisions graduate school in his future. He wants to
pursue his interests in the history of life sciences and philosophy, and he has
a long list of potential graduate schools. He hopes to end up in California,
the Midwest somewhere, or perhaps Canada.
In addition to history, Gustave also has many other academic interests. His
love of philosophy led him to study history at the University of Idaho. He is
interested in the epistemological and methodological questions related to
science and how these questions have evolved over time.
Though Gustave spends much of his time studying, he still tries to have fun.
In addition to good company, good conversation, and chess, he also enjoys
backpacking. This past summer he hiked Yellowstone National Park;
summited Mount Reagan in the Sawtooths; walked the Lost Coast trail of
Northern California; and explored Portland and the Oregon coast. When
asked why nature appeals to him, he answered, “The outdoors, the
adventure, the solitude – it's a really great way to get to know myself. It
gives me a chance to see who I really am in the face of any situation.”
~ Ben Bridges
5
H I S T O R Y R E M E M B E R E D
Remembering the Great War
James McNaughton shares his archaeological experiences
This year – 2014 – marks the centennial of the First World War. These events
forever transformed the world and its effects remain with us today.
Historians continue to research the Great War, sometimes combining
historical detective work with international organizations. In one particular
case, the British government uses historians to learn about the past as well
as to clear away dangerous wartime materials so they can keep civilians
safe.
James McNaughton, a doctoral student in the Department’s historical
archaeology program, has been serving for the past seven years with “No
Man’s Land,” a volunteer organization sponsored by the British Ministry of
Defence. The organization seeks to document World War I trenches and
related structures for historical research. They also work to locate and
dispose of undetonated explosive material left over from the war. Over the
years, McNaughton has often worked on the old Western Front near the
town of Messines and the site of the Battle of Passchendaele in Belgium.
The Battle of Passchendaele began on June 7, 1917 at 4:30 am, when British
forces detonated a series of landmines; McNaughton described the
detonation as being roughly the equivalent of 1 million pounds of plastic
explosives. Contemporaries reported that the sound wave from the blast
could be heard in London – over 240 miles away. Over 15,000 German
soldiers were vaporized. Today, all that archaeologists find of their remains
are bone fragments. The detonation enabled the British to advance, and their
ranks included soldiers from the Third Australian Infantry Division. They
occupied the area for the rest of the war. However, the Battle of
Passchendaele was less about stragegy than preserving Allied morale.
At the end of World War I, much of Europe was littered with war debris:
barbed wire, communication wire, undetonated bombs, mortar shells,
grenades, and gas shells. Often civilians simply gathered it all together and
buried it in shell craters and other holes. Today, the Ministry of Defence
wants to locate and dispose all this dangerous material. There are good
reasons for this concern. According to McNaughton, between 1947 and
2007, an average of thirteen Belgian and French farmers were killed every
year when their equipment hit unexploded ordinances. Along with
recording trenches and bunkers, the volunteers with “No Man’s Land” find
these deadly explosives before people are killed or injured. This work
carries considerable danger for the historical archaeologists involved, some
of whom come within a shovel’s length of striking a century-old grenade or
a mustard gas shell. Explosives experts are always on hand. In this case, as
McNaughton puts it, history is definitely not boring.
When “No Man’s Land” comes across human remains, they do their best to
identify them and notify any living relatives. One story gives an incredible
example of how researchers used all historical and scientific means to
connect the past with the present. In 2008, researchers found a body,
identifiable as an Australian by his medals, in a shell hole at Passchendaele
battlefield site. The body was sent to the lab at the University of Ghent.
Historians looked through Australian military records to find men who
went missing in action as well as their biometric information. As a result,
they narrowed the possibilities down to five men. From there, they
requested DNA samples from the families, all of whom willingly
participated.
With the DNA results, the researchers identified the soldier as Australian
infantryman Private Alan James Mather. Originally born in Britain,
Matherhad immigrated to Australia in
the 1890s, where he became a successful
vineyard owner. During that time, he
also served as an officer in the militia
cavalry. When World War I broke out,
he enlisted as a private in the army and
served on the Western front.
In 2010, Mather was laid to rest in a
battlefield cemetery alongside his
fellow soldiers in a full state and
military funeral. Among those in attendance were the Australian
ambassador to Belgium, the commander of the Australian armed forces and
seven members from Mather’s family. The archaeologists had solved a
century-old family mystery and reconstructed an individual’s life story – cut
short by the tragedy of war.
The Battle of Passchendaele did not have a major impact in the war.
McNaughton says that the British attempted new techniques without
knowing how to consolidate their gains while the Germans were
unprepared for the advance. The result was a morale victory for the British
more than a strategic one at the cost of thousands of lives.
~ Shannon Kelly
Phi Alpha Theta News On October 22, 2014, members of the Pi-Theta chapter of Phi Alpha Theta
History Honors Society gathered at Mikey’s Greek Gyros in downtown
Moscow to initiate eight new members. The turnout was impressive, with
over twenty members and faculty attending. Participants enjoyed spending
time reconnecting with other members of the History Department in a
setting filled with good
food and conversation.
Professors Ellen Kittell,
Ian Chambers, and
Herman Ronnenberg were
among those in
attendance.
This year’s guest speaker
was University of Idaho
French professor Sarah
Nelson. She gave an
entertaining and informative
presentation on Senegal.
Using photos and anecdotes
from her experiences in the former French colony, Nelson discussed social
andpolitical change in the country. She discussed the African tradition of
oral history through griots, selected members of the community charged
with preserving the traditional local heritage.
The Pi-Theta chapter welcomed the following new members: Ryan Bovard,
Tyler Brock, James MacNaughton, Jose Rojas, Cody Slonim, Camilla Van
Natter, Robert “Johnny” Wetherell, andEvan “Gunn” Wilson. Phi Alpha
Theta would like to extend heartfelt thanks to everyone who helped with
this wonderful initiation dinner: the members, the new initiates, our
executive board, Mikey’s Greek Gyros, Professor Nelson, Professor Kittell,
and Alisa Goolsby. ~Shannon Kelly
Congratualtions to the Phi Alpha Theta Fall
2014 initiates: L to R, James Macnaughton,
Gunn Wilson, Camilla Van Natter, Cody Slonim
and Ryan Bovard.
6
U N D E R G R A D U A T E S P O T L I G H T G R A D U A T E S T U D E N T S P O T L I G H T
Jefferson Kleopfer
Jefferson, originally from Lewiston,
Idaho, completed his BA in history at
the University of Idaho in 2014. He is
staying on to pursue an MA under
Dr. Richard Spence. His research
interests are Eastern European
history, Russian history, and the
history of ethnic minorities. For his
master’s thesis, Jefferson hopes to
study how a monarch is affected
byinheriting the throne at a young
age, with a focus on Emperor Franz
Josef and his contemporary Queen
Victoria.
Jeff Meyers
Jeff completed his undergraduate degree
in 2004 at California Lutheran
University. After receiving his BA, he
took a year off of school to travel in
Germany and work at a resort in Aspen,
Colorado. Afterwards, he came to the
University of Idaho for graduate school.
Jeff finished his MA in 2006, and will
complete his PhD this year. Over the
past several years, he has taught
extensively in the Department of History
— a formal experience extended onto many of our Department’s
doctoral students. Some of his courses have included our usual
freshman-level courses such as “History of Civilization” and
“Introduction to American History.” This fall semester, he’s been able to
offer an integrated freshman seminar on the history of crime and
terrorism. His dissertation deals with the development of Chechnen
terrorist organizations in the Caucasus. This past February, Jeff
complemented his doctoral studies by spending two weeks in Russia,
where he visited Moscow and St. Petersburg and even attended events
at the Sochi Winter Olympics!
Molly Swords
Molly is pursuing a PhD in historical archaeology. She holds an MA from
the University of Montana in Anthropology, with a focus in historical
archaeology and forensic anthropology. Recently Molly was a project
manager at the Sandpoint
Archaeological Project, which was a
major preservation project funded by the
Idaho Department of Transportation.
Here, she helped excavate the original
town site of Sandpoint, Idaho. She has
taught courses on cultural resource
management at the University of Idaho.
Molly focuses her research on the
archaeologies of communities, industrial
expansion, and leisure. She plans to
write her dissertation on the alcohol
culture and hotel life in the early American West.
Amy Thompson
Amy comes from the Willamette Valley,
but currently calls Palouse, WA, home.
She is pursuing an MA in history. She
studied architecture at the University of
Idaho, receiving her B.S. and M.Arch in
2004. After graduation, she joined the
staff at the UI library, where she works
in Special Collections and Archives. Her
research focuses on the American West, particularly fruit growers
associations such as the Lewiston Orchards Irrigation District.
~Amy Pendegraft
Please join us for the 3rd Annual
Bella Notte
an Italian dinner with live music
Presented by Phi Alpha Theta
in support of history student scholarships
Saturday, April 18, 2015
5:00-8:30 p.m.
St. Augustine’s Catholic Center 628 S. Deakin Street
Student’s w/ID: $5.00 Non-Student: $6.00 Family of four: $18.00
7
F A C U L T Y P U B L I C A T I O N
A New Perspective on the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade
Professor Dale Graden reflects on his recent publication
This past spring, Professor Dale Graden released his second book, Disease,
Resistance, and Lies: The Demise of the Transatlantic Slave Trade to Brazil and
Cuba (University of Louisiana Press, 2014). In this work, Professor Graden
examines the relationships and elements that led to the end of the slave
trade in Brazil and Cuba.
Graden frames these relationships in what he calls “the three triangular
trades,” all which involved the exchange of goods, crops, capital and slaves.
Graden begins with the triangular trade connecting North America, Europe,
and Africa. He then identifies two additional“triangular systems”: a middle
triangle between Cuba, Brazil and Africa; and a southern triangle between
Cuba, Brazil, and Africa Disease, Resistance, and Lies studies the roles of the
United States and Britain in the middle and southern triangles. Citizens of
the United States provided ships for this trade and partook in it, despite its
illegality. Additionally, Graden explores the elements that led to the end of
the slave trade, including slave resistance and rebellions, epidemics in Cuba
and Brazil, and legal changes.
Graden cites his adolescence in segregated Rhode Island as the beginning of
his interest in history. In his attempt to understand segregation, he traced its
history back to the American Civil War. In college, Graden traveled to
Mexico and Bermuda, where he realized that there was more to the history
of African-Americans than what he had learned. After graduation, he
realized that several Caribbean Islands, such as Jamaica, Haiti, and
Barbados, played equally important roles in the history of Africans in the
Americas. Indeed, as Graden points out, the United States received only a
tiny portion – 4 percent — of the total African slaves transported to the
Americas during the four centuries of the transatlantic slave trade. Finally,
his interests led him to Brazil, which he calls “the biggest center of the slave
trade.” Graden explains his own journey as “That of a naïve young man
trying to put together the history of the African Americas.”
In 1985, Graden won a Fulbright Scholarship to study the Brazilian Negro
Front, an organized black movement in São Paulo during the 1920s. At the
time, a lack of documents and materials made it difficult to achieve his
study’s goals. Shifting his focus to the history of abolition, he found a gap in
the historiography of abolition in Northeast Brazil. This research led him to
his first book, entitled From Slavery to Freedom in Brazil: Bahia, 1835-1900
(2006). With Disease, Resistance, and Lies, he took the research further by
using a mass of British sources, many of which had never been used for
research on abolition. As one of the book’s highlights, Graden uncovers the
high degree of physical and mental abuse that Africans suffered throughout
their enslavement. Graden uses another primary source to show that Cuban
authorities deliberately concealed horrid details of abuse and torture from
the public.
Both of Graden’s books first began as well-received published articles that
inspired him to take his research further. He described his research process
by evoling the Portuguese word “aprofundar,” which means to go deeper
into a particular topic or historical juncture. In the case of Disease, Resistance,
and Lies he explored the historiographical trends of the subject and looked
for gaps. Graden advises, “You have to keep reading. There is such an
immense amount out there. Not only books, but journals, the web, it’s
limitless. Have a good time doing it too. Treat yourself to a rich and
fulfilling intellectual history.”
As an important part of his research
approach, Graden has long interacted
with other experts in his field — both in
the United States and abroad. Since the
1980s, when he first began researching
his doctoral dissertation, he has
established close relationships with
colleagues around the world — he
maintains them to this day.
When Graden summarizes his new
book, he says: “There are some major
problems in understanding our
American past, meaning there are real
problems in the way which history is viewed and analyzed. This book
examines a fascinating period of history (the 19th century Atlantic world) in
which several key events set the stage for the abolition of the slave trade and
then final abolition in Brazil in 1888.”
Indeed, Disease, Resistance, and Liesuncovers several hidden histories.
Graden says that his work is only one piece of the puzzle, but it helps us
understand modern-day race relations and politics.
Readers will be pleased to learn that Graden is currently working on a third
book. It will expand on the life of an African from Sierra Leone, known as
John Freeman by the British and Manoel by his slave owner in Salvador,
Bahia, Brazil. Manoel’s remarkable journey is touched on in Disease,
Resistance, and Lies.
I recommend reading Disease, Resistance, and Lies: The Demise of the
Transatlantic Slave Trade to Brazil and Cuba. It is thrilling, easily accessible,
and always enlightening. It is available online and through the University of
Idaho library. ~Ben Bridges
8
F A C U L T Y N E W S
Faculty Member Awarded the Esto Perpetua
Article by Melissa Courtnage
Esteemed alumnus and adjunct professor,
Herman Wiley Ronnenberg received the Esto
Perpetua from the Idaho State Historical
Society (ISHS), for his outstanding
contribution for the preservation of Idaho’s
heritage this past June in Boise. The Esto
Perpetua is Idaho’s highest award given to an
individual or group for the promotion and
preservation of Idaho’s cultural heritage.
With over forty years’ of teaching experience
from elementary school to university level,
sixty articles, and eight books, Herman
Ronneberg is most deserving of such an
honor. Ronnenberg was awarded“for his
passion for preserving the history of Idaho brewing.”
Herman Wiley Ronnenberg was born and raised in Evansville, Illinois. He
attended Sparta High School in Illinois, before graduating from Beaumont
High School in Beaumont, California in 1964. In 1968, ee received his
undergraduate degree in history and physical education. Afterwards, he
earned his MA degree in library science and an M.S.E from the University of
Central Missouriin Warrensburg. He was beguiled by the history of
Prohibition in the US, and he even wroter his thesis on the subject. As sees
it, the end of Prohibition “would have been a great time to live.” Later, he
sought a doctoral program in archaeology, but he ultimately abandoned it
for a history program in a small town atmosphere. He recalls, “Iwanted to
raise my son, who was in fifth grade at the time, in a small town.” This led
him to the University of Idaho where he earned his degree in historical
archaeology under William Greever, Carlos Schwantes, and Bill Barnes.
After graduating, he spent the next twenty years teaching in Pomeroy,
Idaho. In addition to his teaching responsibilities, he also coached many
extracurricular activities, especially boys’ and girls’ basketball. However, he
also subbed as a coach for cross-country, track and field, football and
baseball — any position, in short,a small school district needed!
In 1985, Ronnenberg and his wife, Diane, bought the North Idaho Cowboy
Bar in Troy, which they reopened as a restaurant. The restaurant served
French and Italian cuisine. Ronnenberg recalls that “Every morning we
would make fresh noodles from scratch.” He describes how they prepared
the noodles for each day; they would hand-roll the noodles before throwing
them into boiling water for a minute after blanching them in an ice bath and
then store them in a bag with oil until that evening, when the noodles
would be added to freshly prepared sauces. “No one makes noodles that
way,” he beams with pride.They later began “ethnic food” weeks where
they served cuisine from around the world everything, from Chinese to
Cajun. In 1988, they sold the restaurant to pursue other interests.
Ronnenberg has a true passion for beer and the history of brewing,
particularly in Idaho. Affectionately known as “Dr. Beer,” he wrote a book
entitled History of the Brewing Industry in Idaho, 1862-1960 (1993), which was
a revised version of his doctoral dissertation. Ronnenberg acknowledges
that be became interested in beer brewing in Idaho came after he discovered
that Moscow once had its own brewery. On further research, he found that
Idaho had over thirty-three breweries scattered throughout mining and
logging camps in the late 1880s. There were so many because, believe or not
beer can be fragile —and so people cannot transport it over long distances. It
is for this reason that Idaho boasted so many local breweries. However,
following the Bull Volstead Act, enacted to carry out the eighteenth
Amendment, Idaho’s breweries went into decline. Over time, Ronenberg
interested himself more and more in story of Idaho breweries and their
manufacturing techniques. He discovered a myriad of fascinating events
around the brewers and breweries as well as state and county legislation.
For example, Idaho was a patchwork of dry and wet counties depending on
local county laws. In these times, train travel could prove annoying to any
drinker: a passenger could be served alcohol in one county but have it taken
away in the next.
Prohibition caused breweries to close and employees to lose their jobs. To
prevent increased unemployment or bankruptcy across the country,
brewers often reopened their doors to other manufacturing, such as ice
cream, cured ham, “near-beer,“ and bottled drinking water. Idaho was no
exception. After the repeal of Prohibition, with better transportation
methods and new technological techniques in brewing, larger companies
were able to transport their goods into new markets that had previously
been reserved for local breweries. By the 1970s Idaho breweries could not
recover.
In his research, Ronnenberg has continued to branch out with his later
publications, which focus on individual Idahoans such as John Lemp,
Janette Manuel, and Isabella Kelly Benedict Robie. While researching John
Lemp, who he nicknamed “the Beer Baron of Boise,” he uncovered over
1,200 newspaper clippings on Lempranging from mining to banking to his
eventual appointment as major: “He was in the newspaper almost every
day.” Ronnenberg’s research led to his 2008 publication ofThe Beer Baron of
Boise: The Life of John Lemp, Millionaire Brewer of the Frontier Idaho. All the
while, he continued to investigate Idaho brewers in The Disciples of King
Gambrinus Volume 1: 25 Unfortunate Lives (2011) and his most recent
publication The Disciples of King Gambrinus Volume II: Capitalists and Town
Fathers (2013). While examining brewerJohn J. (Jack) Manuel, he became
fascinated by Manuel’s wife Janette and her close friend Isabella Kelly
Benedict Robie, both of whom have led adventurous lives. For more
additional information please see Ronnenberg’s Janet Manuel: The Life and Legend
of the Belle of Fabulous Florence (2009) and Pioneer Mother on the River of No
Return: The Life of Isabella Kelly Benedict Robie (2012).
Herman Ronnenberg, a father of two and grandfather of four, currently
resides in Troy.He is the owner of the publishing company Heritage Witness
Reflection Publishing and is in the process of editing his ninth book.
Ronnenberg lectures at the University of Idaho for History 101: World
Civilization I, History 102: World Civilizations II, and this semester History
112: Introduction to U.S. History. Students across the university love his
classes.
When asked what advice he would give history students today, he said: “be
patient.”
Below is an excerpt from Pioneer Mother on the River of No Return: The Life of
Isabella Kelly Benedict Robie (2012) p. 1-5, by Herman Wiley Ronnenberg.
9
I D A H O H I S T O R Y
A Snapshot in Idaho History
An excerpt from Pioneer Mother on the River of No Return
The Rescue
June-December 1877
Holding her three year-old daughter, Addie, in her arms and clinging to the
hand of eight-year-old Frances, Isabella said goodbye to her old friend
Jeanette Manuel, and began the steep 12-mile climb out of White Bird
Canyon to Mount Idaho. Her husband was dead. Her friends were
comforting but of little assistance, and her children were already getting sick
from hunger, exertion and fear. Menacing hostiles—perhaps the same men
who killed her husband—were potentially everywhere and the road was not
safe. With only motherly instincts and Irish determination to strengthen her,
Isabella summoned her courage and plowed ahead.
Isabella’s son, Grant, and daughter, Mary Caroline, were already at Mount
Idaho where they had been boarding so they could study during the school
term. The body of precocious little Nettie, her fifth child, had been safe
under the sod of Idaho for nearly four years. All of Isabella’s attention was
on the two girls that clung to her.
Isabella later recalled conditions at the Manuel ranch that she was then
leaving: “The Indians had eaten every morsel in the house before they left
and I could not even get a crust at Mrs. Manuel’s.”And the arduous hike
would be without nourishment.
On that Friday night, as Francis remembered it, the family continued on
their way toward Mount Idaho staying close to the road while fearing to
venture completely on to it and become visible at any distance. Soon after
starting their journey, of horseman came by on the run and shots rang out.
The rider was settler William George, and he made good his escape.
A report written years later recalled that: “While on this terrible journey she
discovered a white man, mounted upon a switch strong horse flying for his
life. She hailed him and begged him to help her. Oh, shame! He refused.
This is a solitary act recorded of an Idahoan and in those trying times of war
for which all brave men blush. The mother begged him to take her youngest
babe and save it. He refused. This man still lives and his home is on Camas
Prairie. This unchivalrous man reported in Mount Idaho that Mrs. Benedict
was probably killed by Indians; and if not, she was a wanderer on the
mountain.”This may or may not be a memory of this particular encounter.
Such a happening had to further try Isabella’s resolve and increase her fear.
Fear, desperation, and hunger were the unseen baggage Isabella lugged
alongside her children on this journey.
Francis recalled: “knowing there were Indians in the vicinity we were loath
to venture forth, but mother, brave little soul, knew she had to battle along
and, undaunted, pushed on, avoiding the road as much as possible.”After
an exhausting all–night ordeal, Isabella reached the top of the canyon near
the old White Bird Hill Grade where the little family hid in the brush.
“When near the top of the mountain mother told me to sit down and hold
the baby, and not move from there, while she climbed to the top to locate
the road and reconnoiter before going on. Coming back she called softly,
fearing she might miss us in the dark.”
“After a short rest she retraced her steps up the mountain, carrying the
baby. With my hand in hers we went over the top and gained the shelter of
the brush beside the road. This was the old grade on the White Bird Hill.”
They stayed the rest of Friday night there and moved to deeper brush when
the sun came up. Francis carried water to them from a creek using the
baby’s shoe for container. “All day Saturday we remained hidden in the
brush while the whole tribe of Indians was passing by. They were hurrying
their families from their camping ground at the lake, now Tolo Lake, to the
Salmon River, aiming to cross before the soldiers came up with them.”
Saturday, a day of hunger and fear, passed. Dusk at last came on that long
June day.
At the Top of the White Bird Grade Isabella squeezed Frances’ hand even
tighter while pushing her other little babe, Addie, lower in the weeds as the
sounds of the horses grew even closer. It was well after midnight and the
beginning of June 17. She concealed her little family from the sight of
mounted men several times in the past three days, and knew how to do this
well. She heard a muffled bit of speech. It was English, not Nez Perce. She
allowed her hopes to lift a bit. Then she heard more horses, and more men
despite their attempts to be perfectly quiet. The newly widowed mother of
four living children raised her head a bit and peered into the dark of the
pre–dawn countryside. It was the cavalry from Fort Lapwai. She nearly
collapsed with relief. She picked up Addie and pulled eight – year – old
Frances along as they left the brushy hill–side and walked towards men and
horses.
The troopers were as surprised to see Isabella as she was to see them. At last
she and the children had some food – army hardtack. Soon, Mrs. Isabella
Benedict was talking to Captain Perry, the commanding officer. Her pent-up
emotions all gushed forth at once. She was almost too upset to make a
coherent story but managed to get out the overall picture. She told him of
the attack on the Benedict store, and their home, the shooting of her
husband, the attack on the Manuel family, and her attempt to take her
children to safety at Mount Idaho. Perry told her to spend the rest of the
night there and see what the dawn would bring. He ordered one man to
give her a blanket and trumpeter Jones gave her his lunch. Knowing a battle
was very possible, Perry could spare no men or horses to help her on to
Mount Idaho. He offered instead, to send her toward the town with some
friendly Nez Perce. Isabella declined.
The troopers were in their second night without sleep. They were ordered to
make no fires—not even smoking—and to stay awake. One man forgot
himself and struck a match to light his pipe. A coyote howl went up
immediately and the officers believed their presence had been detected by
the Nez Perce Sentries. Most likely, the iron–sod horses had alerted any
sentry in the area long before the match was struck. Such a large group had
no hope of remaining undetected.
Isabella lay down with her two babes and covered them with the army–
issued wool blanket. Physical exhaustion, grief and relief vied for control of
her mind. Her children snuggled in close and she slipped into a fitful sleep.
Dawn comes early to northern Idaho in June.
Sunday, 17 June 1877
At daybreak, Sunday, June 17, Isabella awoke to the sound of the troopers.
Sergeant John P. Schorr wrote to historian McWhorter years later that the
Benedicts were found in rags and starving.She begged the soldiers not to go
further or they would all be massacred. They should have listened.
Ronnenberg, Herman Wiley. Pioneer Mother on the River of No Return: The Life of Isabella Kelly Benedict
Robie. Troy, ID: Heritage Witness Reflections Publishing, 2012.
10
R E M E B R A N C E
Remembrance of William and Janet Greever
The History Department wishes to acknowledge the loss of Dr. Janet Greever (September 12, 1921–August 5, 2014). Dr.
Greever was the wife of Dr. William S. Greever (July 22, 1916 - January 14, 2007), former professor and chair of the History
Department at the University of Idaho. The Greevers are memorialized by the Greever Scholarship, a $1,000-$1,500 award
made yearly to a University of Idaho history student on the basis of academic merit.
Dr. William Greever completed his bachelor’s degree in history at Pomona University in 1938 and his master’s degree in
history at Harvard University in 1940. He served in the United States Army from 1942-46, rising to the rank of Technical
Sergeant and performing administrative duties in the US, the Philippines, and Japan. Following World War II, he returned to
Harvard, completing his PhDin American history in 1949. His dissertation on “The Santa Fe Railway and its Western Land
Grant” was later expanded into his first book, published in 1954.
At Harvard, Dr. Greever met his future wife, Janet Groff, who was herself pursuing a PhD in history at Radcliffe. They were
married on August 24, 1951. Janet Greever had previously received her undergraduate and master’s degrees in history in 1942 and 1945, both from Bryn Mawr
College. Between obtaining her first two degrees, she worked on the Japanese naval cipher for Naval Communications in Washington D.C. She completed her
PhD thesis in 1954on “José Ballivián and the Bolivian Oriente: a Study of Aspirations in the 1840s.”
After a short teaching appointment to Northwestern University, William Greever joined the faculty of the University of Idaho in
1949. He specialized in westward movement and social and cultural history of the United States. He served as chairman of History
from 1956 until his retirement in 1982. Greever was highly respected by his colleagues throughout his tenure as a teacher and an
administrator. Janet Greever was also served at various times as a temporary instructor of Latin American history at the University
of Idaho and Washington State University. Both of the Greevers were members of Phi Alpha Theta.
A highlight of William Greever’s career came in 1958–59, when he received a Guggenheim Fellowship that enabled him to spend a
sabbatical doing research on mining rushes at the Bancroft Library in Berkeley, California. The resulting book, The Bonanza West:
The Story of the Western Mining Rushes 1848-1900, won a Spur Award for nonfiction from Western Writers of America in 1963.
Despite his success as a writer, Dr. Greever considered teaching his most important activity. After his sabbatical he wrote, “The
opportunity to do full-time research was stimulating…valuable as the experience was, I would not want to be for too long away
from the classroom.” ~Amy Pendegraft
In Memoriam Robert Brower
The Department of History is sad to report that Robert Claude Brower, former Magistrate of the Seventh District Court of Idaho, died from cancer in the
University of Utah Medical Center on October 12, 2014. He was sixty-nine years old.
Judge Brower received his undergraduate degree in history at Idaho State University. Later he earned his law degree from the
University of Idaho, passing the state bar exam in 1974.
Many of our alumni will have fond memories of Brower’s indefatigable sister: Nancy Dafoe. Mrs. Dafoe worked as the administrative
assistant for the Department of History at the University of Idaho for twenty-nine years, before she retired in 2010.
The entire Brower family has deeply appreciated the pursuit of historical studies. Two of Brower’s sons majored in history at the
University of Idaho and then pursued doctoral studies at prestigious institutions such as Cornell University and University of Rutgers
in New Jersey. The eldest, Dr. Ben Brower, is currently a professor at the University of Texas at Austin, while the younger,
BradyBrower, is now a fellow at the Institute of Advanced Study at Princeton University.
At present, a number of family members, colleagues, and friends are organizing a new history scholarship fund in memory of Justice
Robert Claude Brower. They hope to raise an initial $25,000 to establish anannual award for undergraduate majors who have an interest to study the field of law.
The History Department and The Primary Source Editorial Board extend our sincerest condolences to the entire Brower family.If you wish to read more about
Judge Brower’s life and accomplishments, please see http://www.am-news.com/content/robert-claude-brower-69. ~Gustave Lester
11
R E C O G N I T I O N
In Appreciation and Recognition. . .We thank the following people and corporations who have shown support to the department through donations, which help sustain scholarships for our undergraduate and graduate students:
Katherine G. Aiken and Joseph M.
Schwartz
David J. Anderson
James W. and Mary Ann Asaph
Harry E. Bilger
Robert Christopher Bowe
Adam M. and Julia B. Browning
William D. Butler
Ronald G. Colstad
Jeff Scott and Lisa Ann Davis
Stephanie Suzett Duran-Quintana &
Jeff Krigel
Stanley Frank Guenthner and Pauline
Veiga-Guenthner
Michael K. and Ivy L. Green
John D. and Jodi M. Haire
Jeffrey Emerson and Linda Anne
Harkness
Lindsey Harris Hughes
David Gordon and Debra E. Kaspar
Jeff Krigel Law Firm, PLLC
Timothy Gregory and Charlene
Rachel Johnson
Eddie Sue Judy
Lori Ann Lahlum
Loyce H. Lewis
Joni T. Libertin
Ronald H. Limbaugh
Charles W. and Elizabeth J. Lorenz
Nancy J. Lunden
Robert Henry McQuade, Jr.
Gordon L. and Alice M. Merritt
Thomas Anthony Mihelich
David Lawrence and Christy J.
Nicandri
Karen M. Offen
Kari Lynn Overall
Bryan Paul and Marina Victorovna
Pereira
Robert A. and Susan E. Perrin
Ronald T. and Kathye H. Polillo†
Carol Lynn Ripley
Wade Rumney
Joseph Michael Sanders and Abby
Boyer
Mara Holt Skov and Steven Skov Holt
Carolle A. Skov
Susquehanna International Group,
LLP
Kermit L. and June A. Staggers
Joshua Allen Tomlin and Erin Emily
Hodgin-Tomlin
Lindarae Persis Watts
Michael David Weaver
† Deceased
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Undergraduates
Brittany Pica
Bryan Reigel*
Graduates
Melissa Courtnage* Masters
Justin Smith* Masters
*Phi Alpha Theta Member
EDITORIAL BOARD
Melissa Courtnage Graduate History
Ben Bridges Undergraduate History
Shannon Kelly Undergraduate History
Gustave Lester Undergraduate History
Amy Pendegraft Undergraduate History
The Editorial Board would like to thank Kristian Strubb and Debbie Husa for their help and advice on the formatting and editing of The Primary Source.
2014 Fall Graduates