Published Quarterly
Editor: Miriam Raub Vivian
| Spring Quarter 2007 |
California State University, Bakersfield
|
Volume 15, No. 3
|
SAYING GOODBYE TO PROFESSOR JIM MERIWETHER The CSUB History Department bids a fond farewell to Professor Jim Meriwether as he leaves our program for good in June, first for a one-year Fulbright appointment in Nairobi, Kenya, and then upon his return to take up a position as a full professor at our newest sister campus, California State University, Channel Islands, in Camarillo. Prof. Meriwether has been serving our students well since his arrival in September 1997, and we are grateful for his dedication and service these past ten years.
Born on a military base in Fort Knox, Kentucky, while his father fulfilled his military duty as a doctor (the base medical bill was just $7), Prof. Meriwether returned shortly with his family to Southern California as a third-generation Californian. His claim to fame from his youth was playing baseball (on the "Bullets") as an eight-year-old with Mark McGwire in Claremont. Not surprisingly, the future major-leaguer (not Prof. Meriwether) was already a standout. For the full story, click here.
HISTORY FORUM
Spring 2007
Professor Ronald Dolkart made a presentation for our spring History Forum on Friday, May 18, on Angela Peralta, an opera soprano, famous in her time, but now rarely encountered in our historical memory. She was also a unique female composer, and her piano pieces had an important influence on the development of Mexican popular music. As opera became a major source of entertainment in European society in this period, where the building of cathedrals gave way to the construction of opera houses, Manual Garcia, a Spanish tenor, brought European opera to Mexico. He was forced to leave Mexico amid post-colonial, anti-Spanish sentiment, but he left a fervor for opera there. Mexico city posed a bit of a challenge for opera singers, given the 7,500-ft. altitude. For the full story, click here.
OUTSTANDING GRADUATING SENIORS
Congratulations to
Amber Billiard and Tiffany Smith!
A new member of Phi Alpha Theta, Amber has earned a 3.7 GPA in eleven history courses at CSUB. She is a very engaging student in class and, according to Prof. Meriwether, “has a sharp analytic mind that sees the essential issues at hand, and then writes fluidly and insightfully about those issues." To read the full story, click here.
Phi Alpha Theta Regional Conference at Northridge on May 12, 2007
Chris Mickols received honorable mention in the graduate category for his paper on “British and Russian Rivalry in Asia, the Iranian Convention, and the 1907 Anglo-Russia Convention.” His was one of just six awards in a pool of fifty-nine papers. Congratulations, Chris!
Published by the History Department at California State University, Bakersfield, 9001 Stockdale Hwy., Bakersfield, CA 93311-1099. Editor: Miriam Raub Vivian. Production: Jean Stenehjem. Most photos: John Maynard. We reserve the right to make any editorial changes to articles submitted. All comments, inquiries or suggestions should be directed to the editor.
James H. George Scholarship Award
The department has awarded the James H. George Scholarship for 2007-2008 to Madeline Newberry, who will complete her degree in June 2008. Madeline has a 3.86 overall GPA and a 3.74 GPA in CSUB history courses. Congratulations, Madeline!
*Important reminder regarding upper-division history offerings next year: we have only two! Connie Orliski will teach Modern China (Hs 426) in winter; and Robert Torres will teach Latin American history (Hs 340) in spring. See the course schedules.
History students win Dean's awards again!
Two history students -- Madeline Newberry and Kevin Rizer -- won the 2006-2007 HSS Dean's awards for best paper in the Humanities! Click here to see the winners.