December 2 Student Research Panel

Our last event of the fall semester is an undergraduate student research panel on December 2 at 6:00 pm in Twomey Auditorium.  Please come support our history students, who will be presenting research they have completed this fall in the Writing in the Social Sciences class.  Each student will speak for roughly 15 minutes, to be followed with a question-and-answer session.  There will be four students participating, and they will speak to a range of World War I-era topics:

Jordan Lockwood is a Senior majoring in Social Studies Education; he will present on Belgium's experiences during World War I.  Although existing international agreements recognized Belgium as a neutral nation, Germany's war plans dictated a quick defeat of France in order to avoid fighting a two-front war against France and Russia at the same time.  Standing in the way of that plan was Belgium, since the main route of invasion to capture Paris and bypass French defenses was through Belgium.  Mr. Lockwood will discuss Belgian experiences during the German invasion and occupation, how those experiences influenced Great Britain's decision to enter the war, and how Belgium fared at Versailles in the peace talks at the end of the war.

Michael Gawlick is a Junior working towards a Bachelor of Arts degree in History.  His research focuses on France during the war, showing how the influx of colonial soldiers and immigrant workers to French industry helped sustain the French war effort.  Moreover, the development of French weapons--like the 75mm gun and the Renault tank--allowed the French, with the assistance of the allies, to sustain their nation throughout the long war despite suffering significant losses in men and materiel.

Marty Kankey is a Senior majoring in Social Studies Education.  Ms. Kankey's research examines the roles of women in the allied cause, including those who served in the Navy as "Yeomanettes," those that went to Europe to serve as nurses and ambulance drivers, as well as women who participated in the war effort on the home front by planting victory gardens, producing equipment, and assisting with Red Cross and Liberty Loan drives.

Chad Dangler is a Senior majoring in History with a minor in Anthropology.  His project focuses on the Gallipoli Campaign and the British decision to open another front in Turkey near the Dardanelles Strait, which connects the Black Sea with the Aegean Sea (and ultimately the Mediterranean Sea).  This straight was a vital connection for Russia, Britain's ally, as it represented the only warm-water port for moving goods into or out of Russia.  The region was also important to British long-term interests in the Middle East and protecting the Suez Canal and British territory in Egypt.

We hope to see you on December 2 at 6:00 pm to hear our students present their research!

Announcing Our Spring Line-up!

I am excited to announce our line-up for the spring semester: there will be a variety of topics and formats to begin 2015, including several with connections to local history.  We are still working on a few things that may be added for the spring, and remember you can now check the schedule of events using the link at the top of the page.  We hope you will join us for these commemorative talks and events!

March 3, 1:00 pm Art Center 102.
Dr. Kathy Desmond will lead an interactive discussion "How the First World War Changed the Art World."  In many ways, World War I turned European culture, and to a lesser extent American culture, on its head, completely redefining how artists thought about the world around them.  One major shift that began in the nineteenth century but that accelerated because of the war was the turn toward modernism, which offered an entirely new set of artistic expressions and commentaries on the industrializing world. 

March 24, 7:00 pm in Towmey Auditorium.
Sarah Craig, a graduate student in the History master's program and the Program Assistant in the Office of Sponsored Programs & Research Integrity at UCM, will present "The Hun in the Heartland: Anti-German Sentiment in Missouri During World War I" based on her thesis research.  Missouri's significant German heritage survived the World Wars, despite national efforts to 'Americanize' many ethnic groups from 'belligerent' nations, so come learn how German-Americans persevered during World War I.

April 8, 12:00 pm (location will be posted closer to the event).
 Dr. Delia Gillis will present "'Close Ranks,' but 'We Return Fighting': African Americans and World War I."  Her talk will examine the debate on African American participation in the war and their experiences abroad as well as on the home front.  It will also include discussions of soldiers like Henry Johnson, Wayne Minor, Homer Roberts, and Homer "Jap" Eblon, who were key in developing the 18th and Vine district in Kansas City and were early leaders in the Civil Rights struggle in the region.