Wayne Bartee, October 2000

When the State Normal School Number 4 opened its doors in 1905 the Department of History and Civics was one of the six original departments. Indeed the school’s predecessor, Springfield Normal School, had already offered courses in history for several years.¹ Courses in the history of the United States and other areas of the world have continued to form an essential part of the core curriculum of Missouri StateU. History faculty have earned reputations as excellent teachers and have gone on to service in various administrative positions. Three of the university’s presidents, Roy Ellis (1926-1961), Duane Meyer (1971-1983), and John Keiser (1993-present), who led the school for 54 of its first 95 years, taught history before entering administration.² 

Thousands of history majors have graduated into successful careers in teaching, and also in business, public service and the professions. Four other academic departments have been organized out of or associated with the History Department before gaining separate status: Economics, Sociology, Political Science and Philosphy.³

The first history courses were survey courses in U. S.  history. B. M.  Anderson became the first full-time history teacher, 1907-1911. His replacement, James W.  Shannon, taught several generations of students during his long career, 1911-1955. Many still remember Mr.  Shannon as a spellbinding lecturer who “made history come alive,” and expected much reading from his students. ⁴He is remembered as usually very even-tempered. However, during one afternoon football game (only the students attended games in the early years) he became quite agitated and scolded the coach loudly for pacing back and forth and obstructing his view of the plays.⁵ 

European history courses became a regular part of the curriculum with the employment of Mary Keith (1918-1954). She encouraged students to develop an interest in world affairs, present as well as past. In 1945 she traveled to San Francisco to observe the organizational meeting of the United Nations. 

Shannon and Keith served for many years as the two stalwarts of the Department. They organized about 1932 the International Relations Club, whose members were mainly history majors. Offering basic courses for students preparing to be history and social studies teachers absorbed most of their time, but on occasion they offered special courses. For example in 1918 a course entitled “War Aims” enrolled a record 242 students!⁶ 

Expansion of the curriculum came gradually as new faculty could be added, beginning with Donald H.  Nicholson, the first faculty member with a Ph.D. degree, in 1935. By 1936 course offerings included twelve courses in European history, eight in American history and six in government. ⁷Dr.  Nick, as colleagues called him, wanted to broaden the offerings and later developed a survey course in East Asian History.

World War II curtailed enrollment and required faculty to teach military personnel housed on campus, but the postwar era brought a large influx of students and made possible a renewed expansion of course offerings and faculty. Clifford Montgomery who replaced Miss Keith taught courses in English history and 19th and 20th century Europe.  Duane Meyer taught Missouri history and Colonial America when he replaced Mr.  Shannon in 1955.⁸Bill B. Lightfoot added more period courses in U.S. history.⁹

The greatest period of expansion naturally coincided with the general growth of Missouri StateU in the 1960’s and 1970’s as it became a university. Course offerings and faculty grew to include national and regional history courses: Latin America and Mexico (David Adams); France (William Hammond); Russia and Germany (Meredith Adams and Wayne Bartee) and the British Empire (Nicholson). Sarah Farley, then Andrew Lewis who later was named a Macarthur Fellow, added medieval history. Warren Jennings, James Giglio, Robert Flanders, Leo Huff and Jeri Krakow added special period and topic courses in U.S. history. African American History was first offered by Roger Fisher. Fisher was succeeded by Dominic Capeci who also developed the first course in African History. Military history and the ever popular history of the Civil War was offered by Huff, later by William Garrett Piston. Huff also developed the first course in Native American history later taught by Willard Rollins, then Larry Burt. Ancient History received attention with the employment of James Moyer. When Moyer chose to transfer to the new Religious Studies Department, he was succeeded by Joseph Foley, then Marc Cooper. East Asian courses were offered by a succession of historians:Tien-Wei Wu, Lanny Fields, Kathleen Lodwick, Jane Wu, and later Michael Sheng. Women’s history became a part of the curriculum with the employment Sylvia Hoffert, later succeeded by Holly Baggett, who also became director of the university gender studies program.

The 1980’s and 1990’s brought still other new courses as well as new faculty. David Gutzke replaced Montgomery and added British social history. More African history entered the schedule with Alaine Hutson. In U.S. History W. R.  (Bob) Miller taught courses in Populism and the Gilded Age. F.  Thornton Miller replaced George Selement who had replaced Duane Meyer in American Colonial and Revolutionary history. Immigration history came with George Hummasti, business history with Thomas Dicke and labor history with Steven McIntyre.

Even in the midst of so much growth, the teaching of basic courses for the general education of students remained a prime mission. In addition to six credit hours in Western Civilization, the U.S. survey courses became an option to meet Missouri’s requirement that all students study U.S. history and government. The other primary mission of the department continued to be preparation of social studies teachers. William Hammond gave yeoman service in this increasingly demanding area, serving over 30 years as principal adviser to B.S. Ed. and M.S. Ed. students. He also compiled and wrote numerous accreditation documents and served on and sometimes chaired the busy university committee on teacher education.

After several years of offering graduate credit for upper level courses in cooperation with the University of Missouri, the Department launched its own Master of Arts in History program in 1967, one of the first at Missouri StateU.¹⁰ This was made possible by the large number of doctorates now in the department, seven out of ten tenured and tenure-track faculty. In 1967 the department also began participation in the Master of Science in Education degree program.

Faculty taught classes and shared very limited office space in the “A” Building (Carrington Hall) until moving to the old Greenwood Building (Hill Hall) in the mid 1960’s, then to larger quarters in Siceluff Hall in the mid 1980’s and to the spacious new Public Affairs Building in 1998. Only then could the faculty dream of a private office with one’s own telephone, computer and window be attained.

With the growth of the department the administrative work required of the head and the need for secretarial support increased. Mr. Shannon served as head until his retirement in 1955, then Dr. Nicholson, 1955-1966. During his tenure Theta Mu Chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, the national history honor society was organized and the first departmental scholarship—in honor of Mr. Shannon—was established. William Rector served only one year, 1966-1967, after which Nicholson returned as interim head, 1967-1968, until Robert Flanders came in 1968. During Flander’s tenure the department further expanded and diversified. Flanders himself became very interested in the Ozarks as a distinct cultural region and founded the Center of Ozarks Studies in 1976, resigning the headship to devote most of his time to it. His work thereafter included production of two award-winning films and a compilation of an extensive collection of photographs and documents relating to the Ozarks.

Wayne Bartee served as head, 1976-1991, a period of continuing expansion of the curriculum and faculty. The faculty entered the “computer age” as gradually everyone acquired a personal computer. Faculty increasingly saw their research efforts bear fruit in historical monographs and articles. The department devised a merit-pay plan to attempt to recognize teaching, research and service achievements. Faculty members beginning with Dominic Capeci and James Giglio received university recognition as distinguished professors and by 1991 all tenured and tenure-track faculty were given a nine-hour equated teaching load to allow them time to continue and expand their research efforts.

Matthew Mancini served as head, 1991-1997, under a revised arrangement which allowed the faculty to elect (with administrative approval) a head for a three-year term, once renewable. Mancini brought with him a strong scholarly reputation and an interest in intellectual history and introduced courses in that area. He successfully promoted faculty cooperation and held to high standards for student achievement.

Marc Cooper became head in 1997 and was reelected in 2000. He led in upgrading the technological resources of the Department and encouraged innovative approaches such as distance learning.

Department head benefited greatly from the assistance of departmental secretaries. They not only handled correspondence and prepared tests and teaching materials; they helped students and faculty in innumerable ways. Their long tenure made them valuable resources of information. They were: Elsie Cunningham became the first full-time secretary about 1965. She remained with Political Science when the departments split in 1968. Georgia Brunner served (1969-1989) and Margaret (Margie) von der-Heide (1990-date)—who was promoted to administrative secretary and joined by Lyn Young in 1995.

In addition to teaching and advising students the History Department has reached out effectively to encourage interest in history in the high schools and the community in various ways. One example is the History Bowl Contest for high school students. It has become an annual event and has drawn in hundreds of students over the years since James Giglio organized it in 1976. Giglio himself raised funds from local banks to create scholarships for winners for several years until the university recognized the success of the event and provided two scholarships annually. Sixteen schools from across Southwest Missouri participate each year. Missouri StateU became the site for the regional History Day Competition in 1982 with Marc Cooper the first Missouri StateU coordinator. Winners, including several teams coached by alumna, Nancy Sneed (M.A. ’69), went on to do well in final rounds in the national contest. Over 400 students participate each year.

Another major accomplishment of the Department was the creation of a regional conference for history faculty, the Mid-America Conference on History, in 1977. This event was also originated by James Giglio and enjoyed such success that the historians at the University of Kansas, University of Arkansas, and Oklahoma State University asked to share the responsibility and rotate the meeting site for the conference among them. It annually attracts several hundred participants and returns to this campus every third or fourth year. Faculty also participate in the state-wide Missouri Conference on History. Missouri StateU became the first school apart from the University of Missouri system to host their conference in 1972. Faculty have contributed to public affairs in many ways, holding offices in various public organizations such as the Missouri Council for the Humanities, Springfield Community foundation, and numerous historical and civic groups.

The department has helped to prepare many generations of students to be teachers. Although the records back to 1905 are incomplete, a conservative estimate would list at least 3,000 who have successfully trained to be history and social studies teachers during Missouri StateU’s first century. More than 150 have earned the M.S. Ed. degree. Also, a substantial number of the nearly 1,000 who have earned the B.A. degree and nearly 250 earning M.A. degrees became teachers.

History majors have moved into many other fields, also. Some outstanding examples which come to mind include:the U.S. Congressman from this district; a president of Truman State University; a chairman of the Missouri Public Service Commission; the Springfield History Museum curator; the successful owner of a business firm who chairs one of the county political committees with the assistance of his wife; an administrative judge; a successful lawyer who has published the first of several volumes of commentary on Missouri law; and a medical doctor who has authored a significant book on the impact of illness on world leaders.¹¹Several graduates have gone on to earn doctorates in history and teach at the college level and two returned to the department.¹²

The close of the Twentieth Century and the approaching centennial of Missouri StateU and its Department of History find a renewed focus on the traditional prime missions of the department:teacher education and general education courses. Teacher education is being reformed and “reinvented” by the university with greater responsibilities assigned to academic departments. A new faculty member will be employed to teach the social studies methods course and more faculty will become involved in advisement. A review of the general education curriculum including the addition of world history courses is in progress. The faculty in the fall of 2000 consisted of 13 full professors (including President Keiser), five associate professors, five assistant professors, three lecturers and additional part-time instructors.

The study of history no longer consists of memorization of dates and lists of political leaders and events. Historians seek to integrate all aspects of life and all classes of people into their interpretations of the past. Perhaps they can agree with the ancient Greek historian, Thucydides, who once wrote, “I shall be content if those who pronounce my History useful (are) those who desire to give a view of events as they really did happen.”¹²

Endnotes

1. Bulletin of Springfield Normal School for 1904-1905.

2. Dr. Ellis taught history, 1917-1920, before becoming head of the newly formed Economics Department. Roy Ellis, Shrine of the Ozarks: A History of Southwest Missouri State College, 1905-1965 (Springfield: College Printer, 1968) p. 112. Dr. Meyer taught Colonial America before becoming dean, the president, Dr. Keiser specialized in labor history before coming to Missouri StateU. Also, Arthur Mallory had been a history major.

3. Also, Dr. Flanders, while department head was very influential in the organization of the Religious Studies Department and the recruitment of his friend Gerritt ten Zythoff as first head. James Moyer, originally employed in history, moved to Religious Studies and served many years as head.

4. Interview with Louise Knox Hull, B.S. Ed., home economics, 1933, retired teacher, September 28, 2000.

5. Ibid.

6. 1936 Ozarko, p.43.

7. Ibid

8. Meyer quickly became a popular teacher. Students appreciated his three-point outline written on the board before every lecture and his dramatic delivery style. One warm spring afternoon when the windows were opened and a storm brewing outside, Meyer was lecturing away. Just as he emphatically expounded a point with the authority of a preacher, a great clap of thunder rolled that almost seemed a divine underlining of his words! Author’s recollection.

9. See appendix for a listing of faculty, their degrees and their major publications.

10. See comprehensive list of M.A. graduates in Appendix

11. Congressman Roy Blunt (M.A. ’72); President Charles McClain (B.S. Ed. ‘54); Chairman Kenneth McClure (B.A. ’72); Curator Julie March; County Democratic chair Steven Stepp (M.A. ’72) and his wife Peggy (M.A. ’72); Judge Margaret Ellis Holden (B.A. ‘85); attorney Richard Sehnake (B.A. ‘79); Dr. Burt Park (M.A. ‘87)

12. Examples are:Edgar McKinney (M.A. ’69 Ph.D. University of Missouri) professor at Missouri StateU-West Plains; Larry Gragg (M.A. ’73, Ph.D. University of Missouri) professor at the University of Missouri – Rolla; Gary McGee (M.A. ’76, Ph.D. St. Louis University) professor at St. Louis University. David Adams (B.A. ’59, Ph.D. University of Texas) and Wayne Bartee (B.A. ’58, Ph.D. Columbia) were the returnees.

13. Thucydides, Historia, Book 1.