The Historian Volume 6 Issue 1 August 2002 THE NEWSLETTER OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA IN HUNTSVILLE They made outstanding 1959. Completed in December GREETINGS contributions to the program. 1992, this fine work was directed From the Desk of the Chairman I hope you enjoy news of by Dr. Lee E. Williams, II with the your fellow alumni herein. Please assistance of Drs. Andrew Dunar Greetings, and best wishes send us information about your and Johanna N. Shields. Grady at the beginning of a new academic experiences, occupations, and found that Patterson impressed year. As you will read herein, it has achievements for next year's Alabamians with his attacks against been a very good year for the newsletter. Also, we are seeking gangsters, corruption, loan sharks history department and for its your advice on the format of the and, most of all, civil rights alumni. newsletter, that is, whether to activists. The study described Special kudos go to Drs. continue to produce a print version Patterson's foray into politics in Jack Ellis and Lee Williams for or save the department much 1954 after the gruesome murder of organizing an impressive semester needed money and only produce it his father, Albert Patterson, who - long lecture series on "The Civil online. Our relatively new web had battled corruption on every Rights Movement in Alabama." page is located at: level in his hometown of Phenix They were ably assisted by Dr. www.uah.edu/colleges/liberal/ City, Alabama, then well known as Sheri Shuck and by our highly history/index.html. Come visit and the headquarters of the "Alabama capable administrative assistant reacquaint yourself with faculty Mafia." The thesis also closely Beverley Robinson. This program (older members had the privilege of examined John Patterson's actions had reverberations around the state, having their photos touched up). as Alabama's Attorney General, the and greatly increased ties with Finally, thanks to all of political and social environment in Alabama A&M University, the co- you who responded to our which he operated, as well as the sponsor. Among other financial November phonathon with image he conveyed to Alabamians sponsors of the program, special generous gifts to bolster the during that period. In like manner, thanks to the Bankhead Frances Roberts scholarship fund. Grady inquired of Alabamians' Foundation. concept of decency and Patterson's Sincerely, The department's ability to identify with that concept, Philip P. Boucher, Chair scholarship winners for 2002-2003 which contributed to his election as are as follows: Christina Lester is governor in 1958. the recipient of the John Hendricks Expanding upon this scholarship; Gina Lee won the Grady Set To Publish thesis, Grady received a contract Junior Heritage Woman's Club Major Work on John from The University of Alabama scholarship; Lisa Sutherland and Press for the publication of a book Michelle Patton received Frances Patterson that more thoroughly explores the Roberts scholarships. Former UAH Department life of John Patterson. In the wake Congratulations to all. of History graduate student Alan of this revelation, Patterson is Our students continue to Edwin Grady is set to publish a actively and aggressively seeking perform well, and go on to make critical analysis of the political life to stop publication of Grady's work valuable contributions to society as of former Alabama attorney in an attempt to protect his image alumni. We had five graduates in general and governor, John from being tarnished and to the Masters Program this year, a Patterson. The new book is based produce a more favorable legacy high number for our small largely upon research done for his for himself. These actions program. They will be sorely three hundred-plus page master's notwithstanding, this new and missed, especially long-time Phi thesis, entitled The Campaign for penetrating history of the life of Alpha Theta officers Barbara Decency: John Patterson as Wright and Bryan Armentrout. Alabama Attorney General, 1955- 2 The Historian John Patterson shall prove colleagues at both UAH and semester in England and Italy extremely illuminating. Alabama A&M in planning and working on his project concerning overseeing the special series, “The the medieval Lombard author, Paul Civil Rights Movement in the Deacon, and the Carolingian FACULTY Alabama.” The thirteen-week court. He also finished the final Philip P. Boucher - Boucher event attracted an average audience revisions of his textbook for continued to work on the first of 300 and generated considerable Houghton-Mifflin Publishers. volume of his two volume "France interest within the local and state and the Greater Caribbean." A community and the press. Funded Virginia Martin - Dr. Martin’s Humanities Center grant facilitated by UAH and Alabama A&M, as first book, Law and Custom in the research in the Library of Congress well as by numerous outside Steppe. The Kazakhs of the Middle and the John Carter Brown Library. sponsors, including the Alabama Horde and Russian Colonialism in He chaired sessions at two Humanities Foundation, The the 19th Century, was published by conferences, the Forum on Huntsville Times, DESE Research, Curzon Press (London) in 2001. European Expansion and Global Inc., the Bankhead Foundation, and She attended two conferences in Interaction held at the phenomenal MEVATEC Corp., the series Fall 2001. One was an Huntington Library in Pasadena, brought to the two campuses in the international workshop at the CA, and the French Colonial fall of 2001 many of the most Martin-Luther Universität in Halle, Historical Society at Yale. For the prominent veterans of the Civil Germany on the topic of the latter organization, he served on the Rights Movement, along with “interaction of nomadic and editorial board of its journal and leading modern historians. With sedentary peoples in the old world was named program chairman for Professor Lee Williams, Professor arid zone.” Her paper was on the 2003 conference to be held in Ellis helped prepare the grant Kazakh land disputes in the 19th Toulouse, France. As department application to the Alabama century. The other conference was chair, he finds the work one part Humanities Foundation. During the annual meeting of the Central tedious and one part rewarding, as the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Eurasian Studies Society (CESS) in when faculty colleagues realize the Day ceremonies at UAH this past Madison, WI, at which she achievements described next. January, he, Professor Williams, presented a paper on “Perjury in and other faculty involved were the Colonial Courtroom: the Andrew J. Dunar - Andrew Dunar honored with a special citation Meaning and Practice of Oath- had a most unusual year for a from the presidents of UAH and taking among Kazakhs in the 19th historian—serving as interim chair Alabama A&M. Century” and attended meetings of of the Music Department. Professor Ellis also the Executive Board of CESS, to Although he still doesn’t know the continued his research on African- which she was elected in Winter difference between an augmented American physicians in the Deep 2001. As a member of the CESS sixth chord and a cord of wood, he South between Reconstruction and Board, she is also serving as learned a great deal and heard a lot the Civil Rights Movement, and to Editor-in-Chief of the Central of excellent music. He also learned date has completed a total of Eurasian Studies Review, a that the repertoire of jokes about seventy-five interviews of doctors scholarly journal first published in the readily apparent gap between and their families recounting their Winter 2002. his musical talents and the logical experiences of medical practice As if research, qualifications for the job is under segregation. In February conferences, professional service virtually inexhaustible. He began 2001, he presented a RELACS and a myriad of teaching and to teach the HY 490/590 senior paper on his research. In service activities at UAH are not seminar in the spring semester. He November, 2002, he will give a enough to keep her busy (or drive continues to work on a post- paper on his work at the annual her mad!), Dr. Martin devotes all of presidential biography of Harry S. meeting of the Southern Historical her “free” time to her lovely family Truman, and on an oral history of Association in Baltimore in a – two daughters, Julia (5) and Anna The Farm, a hippie community session focusing on (1) and husband, Kevin. founded thirty years ago in professionalism and medical Summertown, Tennessee, practice among Black doctors in John K. Severn - Professor Severn southwest of Nashville. the South. continues in his capacity as Director of Undergraduate Jack D. Ellis - During the past Richard A. Gerberding - Dr. Advisement for the College of year, Jack D. Ellis worked with Gerberding spent the spring Liberal Arts, and in his efforts to 3 The Historian complete his manuscript on the Southwest Studies at Southern as director of the UAH Office of Duke of Wellington and his Methodist University in Dallas, Multicultural Affairs. brothers. In March he presented a Texas. Dr. Williams served on paper at the Consortium on the Directors' Council, the Deans Revolutionary Europe held in Stephen P. Waring - Stephen and Directors' Council, the Baton Rouge entitled “The Political Waring is up to the same stuff. He Academic Council, the General: Wellington from India to tried to keep his desk clean--and Administrative Council, and the Salamanca." At that same meeting failed. He tried to stay out of Alabama Classroom Enhancement he was asked to assume trouble--and failed. Waring Project Proposal Evaluation responsibilities as treasurer of the somehow managed to win election Committee. He participated in a Consortium. as president of the UAH Faculty recruiting venture to Oakwood Senate for 2002-03. As president- College, and served on the UAH Sheri M. Shuck - This academic elect, he spent lots of time listening Alabama Alliance For Minority year, Sheri Marie Shuck focused on to faculty planning (haranguing), Participation Review Committee. completing research on her paying attention to administrative He holds memberships in the UAH manuscript, “Voices From the planning (plotting), and Chapter of the National Southern Borderlands: The representing the faculty Archeological Society, the Black Alabamas and Coushattas, 1500- (complaining) to the Heritage Council of the Alabama 1859.” Receiving funding from administration. Waring continues Historical Association, the two consecutive UAH MiniGrants, to work on his history of the space Huntsville-Madison County Shuck conducted research at the shuttle Challenger accident. To Historical Society, and the Library of Congress, Center For help progress in his research and Alabama Historical Association as Louisiana Studies, New Orleans writing, he won a NASA Summer well as the advisory board of the Historic Collection, and the British Faculty Fellowship to work at Burritt Museum. He served as Public Records Office in London. Marshall Space Flight Center in the third reader for Barbara Wright's In the spring, Shuck visited the summer. This meant that for the thesis. Alabama-Coushatta Indian first time in decades Waring He received two plaques Reservation in Livingston, Texas, worked from eight-to-five. He for his work with the Civil Rights where she met with tribal elders enjoyed working in a different Movement In Alabama Project: one and discussed their history and place in a different culture, even from President Frank Franz (UAH) material culture. though that meant having his and President John Gibson Shuck presented her notecards checked at security (Alabama A&M University), and research on the Alabama and everyday. Hanging out with one from the Huntsville-Madison Coushatta tribes at RELACS in aerospace engineers and space County Chapter and the Alabama September. She also presented a scientists was fun! Conference of the National paper entitled, “Holding the Association for the Advancement Balance and the Division of the Lee E. Williams, II - During the of Colored People. He received a Alabama Nation, 1714-1763,” at Fall Term of this academic year, certificate of appreciation for the the Gulf South History and Dr. Williams taught a section of Tennessee Valley Jazz Society. He Humanities Conference held in HY 102, HY 414/514 and helped to also served as keynote speaker for Mobile, Alabama. team-teach Honors 399-01 [The "Men's Day 2002" at the Church Shuck is currently Civil Rights Movement In Street Cumberland Presbyterian working as a consultant for the Alabama]. He also served as Church in America. Furthermore, Burritt Museum’s new exhibit principal investigator for the highly he presented an informal lecture to "Living With Nature," funded by successful Civil Rights Movement the UAH Political Science Club the National Endowment for the In Alabama Project which covered regarding the Civil Rights Humanities. Shuck is responsible the entire Fall Semester with a Movement in Alabama, and for directing its Native American series of thirteen weekly offerings. received his UAH thirty-years' component, focusing on the During the Spring Semester, Dr. service recognition clock. The Chickasaw, Cherokee, and Williams taught Hy 225 while Office of the Provost granted Dr. Choctaw tribes. administratively helping to bring to Williams a sabbatical leave for the This summer, Shuck conclusion the Civil Rights 2002-03 academic year. received the Clements-DeGolyer Movement In Alabama Project. Research Grant, which enabled her Concurrently, Dr. Williams served to study at the Center For STUDENTS 4 The Historian Donna Castellano - As a part-time towards completing my doctorate. attacks, Spring Break arrests, and instructor for the department in I am in the middle of a two-year restoration work on the Western Civilization, I actually stint in Mexico. I spent the last Confederate submarine "Hunley." spend more time at the department year in Mexico City, working at I also have overseas trips coming and its classrooms now than I did various archives there. The next up to Paris and Amsterdam. while attending classes before I year will be spent in Guadalajara. (finally) earned my degree in For this trip, I received a grant John McKerley-I received my MA Spring 2001. In addition to from UC Mexus, an in History from the University of teaching, I have become involved interdisciplinary, UC-wide Iowa in 2001 and was accepted into in several organizations dedicated institution that focuses on Mexico the department's Ph.D. program. to the preservation of Huntsville's and Mexico-US relations. I'm going to take my history by safeguarding its comprehensive exams next fall. architectural past. The purpose of Tracy Snyder- I am a recent The tentative titles of my three one of these organizations, the recipient of both an Emmy Award teaching fields are "Race, Labor, Twickenham Historic Preservation and a Radio and Television News and Radicalism in the Gilded Age District Association (THPDA), is Directors' Award for news and Progressive Era," "The U.S. to maintain the Weeden House, the excellence. I have left local news South from Slavery to the Age of home of Maria Howard Weeden, a for network news. I work for NBC Jim Crow," and "Modern Africa." late nineteenth-century artist who as a National Assignment Manager Currently, I am trying to turn my supported herself after the Civil and Writer. I am responsible for MA essay, " 'Too Mixed Up': War by her poetry and drawing of covering national news across the Class, Color, and Community in freed slaves. Although her poetry U.S. and getting video, SoundBits, the Alabama Coalfields," into an reflects the paternalistic racial and scripts to all NBC affiliates. article. views of former slaveholders The national stories you see on Publications: My entry on the toward African-American men and local news in Huntsville come from Boston Police Strike of 1919 will women, her drawings dignify and our work in Charlotte. I am also in be appearing in the upcoming humanize her subjects during a charge of gathering news items Encyclopedia of Organized Labor, period when African-Americans from affiliates. I am responsible edited by Robert Weir. were depicted artistically as for coordinating efforts in Charlotte Conference Papers: "Memory and caricatures of a racial stereotype. with the network desk for MSNBC Mythmaking: Cultural Politics, The Weeden House in New Jersey and NBC-owned Martin Luther King, Jr., and the operates as a museum that offers and -operated stations, like National Civil Rights Museum" visitors a glimpse into upper-class Chicago, Washington, DC, and (given at the Missouri Valley life in a small town in antebellum Burbank. I also work with the Historical Conference in March Alabama. Until recently, the Today Show and Nightly News to 2001) museum's directors have neglected ensure those programs get items Awards: University of Iowa to address some of the important they need. Since September 11th Crossing Borders Fellow, 1999- questions of race, class, and gender the desire for national news has 2000. Graduate Student participant which defined the lives of the increased, and I enjoy covering the in the International Forum for U.S. people who lived in this house over President and the Pentagon. I Studies (IFUSS) trip to South its approximately two hundred year enjoyed the opportunity to be part Africa (August 2001) history. Drs. Boucher and Dunar of NBC's Winter Olympics Teaching: I'm teaching a class of have offered to provide research coverage. With NBC I also get the my own design entitled, support to the Weeden House chance to work with some "Segregation in the City: through Phi Alpha Theta. Through entertainment coverage as well. Birmingham, Alabama, and the department's support, it is I live in Charlotte, North Johannesburg, South Africa in the hoped that the history of the Carolina, but I get to travel. I have 20th Century." Weeden House can be expanded to especially enjoyed traveling across Union: I'm also a proud steward of include the history of all people the Southeast. Within the last year, UE-COGS (Campaign to Organize who made their home under its I have visited Washington, DC, Graduate Students) Local 896. roof. Richmond, Durham, Raleigh, Asheville, Wilmington, Charleston, Beth Hancock-received a teaching Joe Green - I am still attending the Savannah, Jacksonville, Orlando, position in the History Department University of California-Riverside. Miami, and Key West. Recent at Gainesville College in I am making progress academically stories I have written include shark Gainesville, GA. 5 The Historian which members interview UAH UAH campus. The following is a Dr. Sarah Kidd-has defended her faculty members or former faculty schedule of the sessions: dissertation and graduated from the members, compiling in the process University of Missouri. an oral history of the early years of October 10 – Keynote Speaker – the university. Another project will Dr. Robyn Muncy, “Women, Claus Martel - (B.A. 1988) a be initiated in the fall through the Democratic Politics, and historian at Redstone Arsenal, was cooperation of former Phi Alpha Progressive Reform, 1890-1925." honored at the White House in May Theta president and recent UAH Robyn Muncy is an associate 2002 for raising a record amount of M.A. recipient Donna Castellano, professor of U.S. History and money for this year's local who has recently assumed Women’s History at the University Combined Federal Campaign. supervisory responsibility over the of Maryland, College Park. She is Among other initiatives, he Weeden House on Gates Avenue, the author of Creating a Female established a website and created one of Huntsville's historic Dominion in American Reform an online E-Bay style silent auction buildings. (See Donna's report on 1890-1935 (1994) and co-editor of to raise money. For example, he p. 4) Engendering America: A persuaded such groups as the North Documentary History, 1865 to the Alabama Jazz Group to perform for The Society for Ancient Present (1998). More information the highest bidder. Martel was can be found at: inspired, he said, to go well beyond Languages-The Society had http://www.inform.umd.edu/Hist/B normal charitable contributions by another very successful year. Its io/muncy.html the recent death of his mother that members spent the fall semester resulted from ovarian cancer. "I studying Latin poetry. In the October 17— Dr. Angel Kwolek- was pretty stingy with giving. I spring they tried something Folland, “Feminism in the approach that whole thing with a different: they investigated the Business World: Evaluating different set of eyes and that's the Latin writings of three "modern" Women in the Corporate way it usually happens." authors, Bacon, Galileo, and Culture." (Huntsville Times, May 19, 2002) Newton. In April they hosted Angel Kwolek Folland is the Professor David C. Lindberg of the director of the Center for Women's Phi Alpha Theta University of Wisconsin, one of the Studies and Gender Research and a discipline's leading scholars of professor of history at the The Tau Omega chapter medieval science, as their of the history honorary Phi Alpha University of Florida. She is the distinguished guest lecturer. author of Engendering Business: Theta initiated four new members at a ceremony last fall at the home Men and Women in the Corporate of department chair Dr. Philip History Forum 2002 Office, 1870-1930 (1994) and Boucher. New initiates included October 10-24 Incorporating Women: A History of graduate student Jason Keenum Women and Business in the United and undergraduates John Rideout, The Women’s Movement in States (2001). More information Christina Lester, and Gina Lee. the United States Since 1890 can be found at: http://web.clas.ufl.edu/users/halohe The chapter’s president, Erin Reid, ad/prof1.html organized a bounteous cornucopia This year the UAH History Forum, of food for guests. Other officers with support from the Bankhead assisting Ms. Reid throughout the Foundation, is presenting a three- October 24 – “Past, Present, and year were Ann Lawson, vice part lecture series, “The Women’s Future: Challenges Facing president; Christina Lester, Movement in the United States Women in the 21st Century" secretary; Bryan Armentrout, Since 1890.” The goal of this This last session will consist of a treasurer; and Barbara Wright, year’s forum is to provide a panel discussion including leading historian. The Severns once again multicultural perspective exploring women of Madison County who opened their home for a spring women’s leadership during the have taken part in the great picnic shortly after the end of the progressive era, the rise of women historical and social changes in spring term. in the workplace, and issues women's professional status over The chapter has several currently confronting professional the last half century. Participants projects underway or in the early women. The sessions will be held will relate their experiences in the planning stages. One of these is an on Thursday evenings at 7 p.m. at professional world since the on-going oral history project in the Roberts Recital Hall on the modern Women’s Movement and discuss the challenges ahead. 6 The Historian communication arts, political exciting lecture series in UAH’s Black History Month science, and psychology joined our history. “The Civil Rights The Department of History, in department to stage the event. Movement in Alabama,” a 14-week conjunction with the Office of Approximately 550 students, most program that rotated between the Multicultural Affairs, undertook or from Huntsville and Madison campuses of UAH and Alabama participated in the following County, but some from as far away A&M, attracted record crowds and activities during Black History as Birmingham, came to Chan continued the History Forum’s long Month 2002 at the University of Auditorium and to the Art tradition of addressing issues of Alabama in Huntsville: Department spaces in Roberts Hall. broad concern to contemporary Seven high schools participated in audiences. • The Black Student Association the history contest: Bob Jones, Organized by Professors Town Hall Meeting, Union Catholic, Grissom, Huntsville, Jack D. Ellis and Lee E. Williams, Grove Gallery. Johnson, Randolph, and Sparkman. in collaboration with colleagues • The Huntsville-Madison The history contest is divided into from UAH and Alabama A&M, the County and Alabama two sections: U.S. history and series opened with a powerful Conference Emancipation world history. Team awards went keynote address by Pulitzer Prize Proclamation Celebration, to the top three teams in each winning writer Taylor Branch, Madkins' Chapel CP Church contest, and plaques to the top ten author of Parting the Waters: [Huntsville, Alabama] individuals in each contest. In the America in the King Years, 1954- • Completion of the Civil Rights U.S. contest, Bob Jones teams took 63. Movement in Alabama Project the first two awards, with Randolph In the weeks that followed • One-woman play entitled "And narrowly edging Grissom for third appeared some of the best-known Aren't I A Woman: The Life of place. Bob Jones students swept veterans of the struggles of the Sojourner Truth," by Ms. the top six individual awards, and 1950s and 1960s. With all flights Kathryn Woods. eight of the top ten. In the world cancelled during the aftermath of • The Office of Multicultural contest, Grissom dominated, September 11th, Freedom Rider Affairs Black Student winning the team contest and the Diane Nash again rode a bus--this Roundtable. top two individual awards, as well time from Chicago to Huntsville-- • Lecture to UAH Political as seven of the top ten individual where she reminded the standing- Science Club on The Civil awards. Randolph and Catholic room only crowd that one of the Rights Movement in Alabama. rounded out the top three teams. great lessons learned by her • Office of Multicultural Affairs' Many people from around generation was that violence must Annual Black History Month the campus helped to make this not be allowed to dictate the course Luncheon with Judge M. Lynn year’s tournament a success. of history. Sherrod as Keynote Speaker. President Franz addressed the That same message came students at the beginning of the in subsequent weeks from Fred History Tournament awards ceremony. Enrollment Gray, attorney for Rosa Parks; Rev. Six years ago the history Services provided box lunches for Fred Shuttlesworth, veteran activist department initiated a contest for all the students and their teachers, of Birmingham; J. L. Chestnut, local high school history students. and offered $500 scholarships to author of Black in Selma; Odessa The department expected that the the winners of each contest. The Woolfolk, a founder of the contest might foster an interest in dean’s office supplied awards for Birmingham Civil Rights Institute; history, reward students for their winning teams and individuals. and Congressman John Lewis, who academic preparation in history, Testing Services again helped score was at the head of the march on and bring local high school the tests. Our own Beverley Pettus Bridge during the clash students to the UAH campus. Robinson coordinated the event, as known as “Bloody Sunday” in Since then the contest has grown. she has done every year since the 1965. In its second year, other history contest began in 1996. Special sessions with departments joined, and the panels composed of veteran College of Liberal Arts expanded activists and modern scholars the event into an annual UAH History Forum 2001 focused on events in specific cities Liberal Arts Tournament Day. The Civil Rights Movement in and regions, including Mobile, For this year’s tournament Alabama Huntsville, Tuskegee, and on April 17, the departments of art, The fall semester of 2001 Lowndes County. The final saw one of the most successful and session featured sociologist Aldon 7 The Historian Morris, who offered a personal perspective on the legacy of the movement. As one of the chief sponsors of this historic series, thanks to the generosity of the Bankhead Foundation, the department of history is proud to have played a part. “The timing was especially appropriate,” Dr. Ellis says, “given the racial divide that still exists in America. The Civil Rights Movement ranks alongside the American Revolution in significance, and future leaders will never appreciate the importance of human freedom without knowing what happened here in Alabama.”