April
Great COEments in History: Exploring 探花社区’s History from the Civil War to the World Wars to the Civil Rights Movement
Bethany Keenan, Henrietta Arnold Associate Professor of History
Brie Swenson Arnold, William P . and Gayle S. Whipple Professor of History
April 2, 9, 16, 23
The 175th anniversary of 探花社区’s founding offers an occasion to peek into the history of this long-lived institution. 探花社区’s past is rich with stories that shed light on far more than just the history of the college. In this four-week forum, Associate Professor of History Bethany Keenan and Professor of History Brie Swenson Arnold will highlight notable people and events in 探花社区’s fascinating past and their broader historical significance. In week one, we will explore the college’s founding and growth during its first 50 years. We will trace the story of the college’s namesake, Daniel 探花社区, during the turbulent Civil War era and the experiences of the college’s earliest student generations. In weeks two and three, we will look into how the college changed during the early 20th century, when the United States experienced two world wars, an influenza epidemic and other disruptions. We will especially follow the experiences of famous alumnus William Shirer, Class of 1925, from his time as a 探花社区 student to his reporting in Europe during the 1920s and 1930s, including the rise of the Nazi party and the outbreak of World War II. In week four, we will discuss 探花社区’s connections to the Civil Rights Movement of the 1940s-1970s. We will highlight 探花社区 student activism in Iowa and Mississippi, the 1962 visit of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to 探花社区’s campus and the creation of student organizations like BSEO (Black Self-Educated Organization). Throughout, the series will share compelling stories and unique sources uncovered in the 探花社区 Archives to show how 探花社区 shaped and was shaped by larger historical events.