HistoryPage 2
Congratulations Class of 2020 History Majors!
Congratulations Cass of 2020 History Graduates! In honor of our graduates, we’ve put together some information about our senior majors. Some of them shared memories and thoughts about their time at Gustavus. As a department we are so proud of their hard work over the last four years, and especially this final semester that brought […]
What do I do with a History Major?
What do I do with a History major? Spring 2020 A group of Gustavus history alumni panelists were scheduled to arrive on campus this spring to share their experiences as history majors with current students. One goal of the panel was to share the numerous career paths possible with a history major and what can […]
Gustavus History Professors featured in recent TV news story
On Wed April 22, 2020 KEYC News Now aired a story about living through history in the time of the pandemic. Gustavus history professors Greg Kaster and Kathleen Keller gave their perspectives on how this time period compares to crises in the past and how it might be studied in the future. You can watch […]
The History of the History (Department)
History academic assistants Ayushi Kalyani and Adam Johnson Note: The following post was created by History Department Lund-Davis academic assistants who researched the history of the department in the Gustavus College Archives. Photos by Ayushi Kalyani. Text by Adam Johnson. Everything, ultimately, has a history. Rocks, people, nations, ideals; if there is information, you can […]
Humanities Majors: Happy, Socially Useful, and Well-Compensated
Myth: Welders make more than philosophers. Reality: Happy, social useful, and well-compensated Humanities majors. The data are clear: Contrary to the distortions and in some cases outright lies circulating in our society about the Humanities and the traditional Liberal Arts, persons who major in those areas are not only well-compensated but also highly satisfied in their jobs. […]
James M. McPherson on “Why the Civil War Still Matters”
An interesting and timely interview with Gustavus’s own distinguished alum and leading historian of the Civil War, Prof. James M. McPherson. The interviewer, who writes and edits for History News Network (HNN) where the interview appears, mentions Gustavus. As McPherson notes, there was no Civil War history course when he attended. There is now, and […]
Meet the History Department Faculty: Professor Maddalena Marinari
Dr. Marinari is the most recent addition to the Gustavus History Department. Originally from Italy, she has a Ph.D in Twentieth-Century U.S. and Modern European history from the University of Kansas. Her colleagues already feel her presence as a major contribution. Her enthusiasm towards solving historical puzzles and interpretations make her an excellent professor and […]
Meet the History Department Faculty: Professor Kate Wittenstein
Dr. Kate Wittenstein has been a Gustavus professor since 1986, and, during her tenure, she has helped transform the department in significant ways. Prior to teaching, Dr. Wittenstein earned a MA from Purdue University and a Ph.D from Boston University in American Studies. While at Boston University, she met her husband Gregory Kaster, another professor […]
Prof. Glenn Kranking Publishes Article on Repatriation of Estonian-Swedes
Congratulations(!) to Professor Glenn Kranking whose article, “Leaving the ESSR: Sweden’s Attempts at Repatriating the Estonian-Swedes from Soviet-Controlled Estonia, 1940-1941” has been published in the Journal of Baltic Studies 46, no. 4 (2015): 458-70. Prof. Kranking notes that his article “seems to be one of 3 articles relating to Sweden and the Soviet-occupied Baltic States, […]
Meet the History Department Faculty: Professor Gregory Kaster
Dr. Gregory Kaster is a professor of American History in the Gustavus History Department. Almost from the beginning Dr. Kaster knew that he wanted to teach history. This drove him to get his BA and MA from Northern Illinois University and his Ph.D from Boston University where he met his wife, Dr. Kate Wittenstein, […]