From the President
A Time for Celebration
In the year 2003, Ohio will celebrate its two hundredth year of statehood. Part of Connecticut’s Western Reserve—home to migrants of many nationalities and races—birthplace of Thomas Edison, the Wright brothers, Garrett Morgan, Florence Allen, the Warners and Gloria Steinem—battleground of American presidential politics between 1840 and 1920—hotbed of abolitionism, women’s rights and the Underground Railroad—burgeoning center of the iron, steel, and chemical industries—Ohio has been at the heart of our nation’s development.
William D. Jenkins, Ph.D.
In recent years, though, the closing of industries and the decline of its cities have threatened the part that Ohio plays historically. As we begin a celebration of the Bicentennial, let us hope that study of Ohio’s past and a re-emphasis on the contributions of our educational institutions will provide a focus for Ohio’s adjustment to a changing world.
The Ohio Academy of History is also adjusting. Celebrating its seventieth year, OAH provides an opportunity for those who study the United States or other parts of the world—whether they are professors, teachers, public historians or amateur historians—to meet, to discuss, and to deepen their knowledge of all fields of history. An organization that emphasizes the traditional presentation of papers based on scholarly research, OAH has widened its scope in recent years to supporting historical presentations in public settings and to developing the social studies curriculum, K–12. OAH encourages quality in public history through a standing committee and panel presentations at its Spring Meeting. It also presents an annual award for the best example of public history. On the K–12 level the Standards Committee, chaired by Lowell Satre of Youngstown State University (see page 6), has provided important feedback to the Ohio Department of Education as it engages in the formation of content standards for the social studies. Several of our members, Scott Martin of Bowling Green State University and Phillip Howard of the University of Akron, have served on ODE’s Content Advisory Committee. We have come to realize that our members have an important part to play in what is taught at the K–12 level, and that it is as valuable as what is taught at the colleges and universities. Our contributions should also extend to the preparation of social studies teachers. It should not be the work of schools of education alone.
In the upcoming year the Academy will build upon communication advances. Martin Wainwright of the University of Akron has moved our Website to www2.uakron.edu/oah/, changed its format and style, and updated its content. This new Website contains a list of our officers and committee members, as well as forms for joining OAH, for nominating officers and awards, and for registering at our Fall and Spring Meetings. Our Roster will appear on-line and foster contacts among historians throughout the state. Members may also use the Website to contact Stuart Hobbs (see page 5), our first Archivist, for access to and storage of important OAH documents. This past spring the Executive Council negotiated with the Ohio Historical Society for the services of Patricia Walsh, who will serve as production editor for the fall and spring issues of the OAH Newsletter. Walsh will henceforward provide members with a more colorful, professionally designed newsletter. We are also encouraging the inclusion of more articles about research, topics of professional relevance, the development of curriculum, reviews of significant books, the state of Ph.D. programs in Ohio, and more. Finally, as president, I will undertake to send occasional e-mail messages to chairs of history departments and to administrators of history-related institutions to be passed on to faculty and employees. It is my belief that use of each of these communication vehicles will extend our contacts, provide more timely information, and encourage our growth.
With a new academic year, we must also examine our own profession and the recent scandals involving plagiarism. As we try to evaluate the role of our graduate schools, of editors, and of referees in these occurrences, Betsy MacLean has written for the Newsletter (see page 4) a stimulating account of Otterbein’s efforts to deal with the visit of Doris Kearns Goodwin. There are many such issues confronting our profession, and no better place to deal with them than the Ohio Academy of History. In the upcoming year I encourage each of you to consider participating more actively. Compared to the cost of national conferences, the Fall and Spring Meetings are affordable and an opportunity to meet with colleagues from around the state. A thriving professional organization has the ability to make the study of history meaningful each year and not just when a bicentennial occurs.