2018

Historical Understanding

Elizabeth Dohms, “Decision To Strip Laura Ingalls Wilder's Name From Literature Award Shows Changing Values,” Wisconsin Public Radio, May 16, 2018

Jim Grossman comments on the American Library Association’s decision to change the name of its literature award.

Black Nelson, “Missouri Senate votes to send Harry Truman back to DC,” Associated Press, May 16, 2018

Jim Grossman discusses the role of historical understanding when a state selects a statue to represent it in the US Capitol.

Steve Hendrix, “Is technology bringing history to life or distorting it?,” The Washington Post, May 10, 2018

Seth Denbo, AHA director of scholarly communication and digital initiatives, quoted about the impacted of new digital tools on historical understanding.

James Grossman, “Bigotry stopped Americans from intervening before the Holocaust. Not much has changed,” Los Angeles Times, April 29, 2018

Jim Grossman reviews “Americans and the Holocaust” at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC.

Teaching and Learning

Sam Wineburg, Joel Breakstone and Mark Smith, “Do We Know What History Students Learn?,” Inside Higher Ed, April 3, 2018

References the AHA’s work on the Tuning Project and other studies of history student learning.

Career Diversity for Historians

Vimal Patel, “Colleges Can’t — or Won’t — Track Where PhDs Land Jobs. Should Disciplinary Associations?,” Chronicle of Higher Education, July 17, 2018

Coverage of the AHA’s new data project, Where Historians Work, which tracks the careers over 8,500 history PhD recipients and provides an interactive tool to explore the outcomes of graduate training in history.

Vimal Patel, "Rebranding the Ph.D.," The Chronicle of Higher Education, March 4, 2018

This article highlights the role of the AHA Career Diversity for Historians initiative in improving graduate education.

Virginia Scharff, "Prepare Your Ph.D.s for Diverse Career Paths," The Chronicle of Higher Education, March 4, 2018

The director of the AHA Career Diversity pilot program at the University of New Mexico gives advice for improving graduate education.

Coverage of AHA Statements

Coverage of AHA letter and statement regarding University of Wisconsin Stevens Point

Pat Schneider, “Liberal arts groups say UW-Stevens Point cuts would make students less employable,” The Cap Times, March 20, 2018

Maggie Chandler, “National societies defend UW-Stevens Point humanities majors,” The Daily Cardinal, March 18, 2018

Shelley K. Mesch, “Professional organizations respond to UW-Stevens Point proposal to cut humanities majors,” Madison.com, March 18, 2018

Colleen Flaherty, “20 Scholarly Groups Question Stevens Point Cuts,” Inside Higher Ed, March 16, 2018

Colleen Flaherty, “‘A Different Kind of University’,” Inside Higher Ed, March 13, 2018

Coverage of the AHA' statement condemning the Polish law criminalizing references to Polish complicity in Nazi War Crimes

Scott Jaschik, "Historians Blast Polish Law on Nazi-Era Scholarship," Inside Higher Ed, February 12, 2018

References to the AHA's statement on Confederate monuments

Edwin M. Yoder, Jr., “Attacking Confederate monuments echoes the prejudice it condemns,” The News & Observer, May 2, 2018

Kimberly C. Moore, “Confederate monument relocation sites narrowed to 2 in Lakeland,” News Chief, March 21, 2018

Dean Mosiman, "City to decide fate of two Confederate monuments in Madison cemetery," Wisconsin State Journal, January 29, 2018

National Endowment for the Humanities

Jennifer Schuessler, "Trump Nominates New Chairman for the National Endowment for the Humanities," New York Times, March 4, 2018

Jim Grossman, AHA executive director, shares his thoughts about the nominee to lead the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Jobs Report

Colleen Flaherty, "More Bad News on History Jobs," Inside Higher Ed, February 27, 2018

Coverage of the 2017 AHA Jobs Report.

2018 AHA Annual Meeting

Jackie Mansky, “The Age-Old Problem of “Fake News",” Smithsonian Magazine, May 7, 2018

Includes discussion at a panel held at the 2018 AHA annual meeting.

Emma Shortis, “Yale Diaries: the role of historians in Trump’s America,” Crikey.com, January 17, 2018

A Yale PhD student examines the conversations surrounding history, politics, and public engagement at the 2018 AHA annual meeting for an Australian independent news outlet.

Anna North, ““I Am Student X”: how graduate students are seizing their #MeToo moment,” Vox.com, January 17, 2018

This examination of the anti-sexual harassment movement on college campuses references a session organized by AHA Council at the 2018 meeting.

Neetu Chandak, “Historians look to help activists 'resist' immigration control,” Campus Reform, January 9, 2018

A conservative website spotlights a panel accepted on the AHA’s late-breaking sessions program and includes an interview with the panel chair.

Brendan Pringle, “Professors teaching US conservatism baffled by Trump administration,” Washington Examiner, January 9, 2018

A conservative website disputes the characterizations of Donald Trump given by historians at an AHA panel.

Colleen Flaherty, “Historians MIA,” Inside Higher Ed, January 9, 2018

Summary of a panel accepted on the AHA’s late-breaking sessions program focused on historians’ assessments of the Ken Burn and Lynn Novick documentary Vietnam.

Colleen Flaherty, “The History Ph.D.: Beyond ‘Alt-Ac’,” Inside Higher Ed, January 8, 2018

Highlights from multiple sessions organized as part of the AHA’s Career Diversity for Historians initiative, including workshops and panels with historians employed beyond the professoriate.

Colleen Flaherty, “Teaching Conservatism in the Age of Trump,” Inside Higher Ed, January 5, 2018

An in-depth report about a highly-anticipated panel at the 2018 meeting, focused on the challenges faculty members face in contextualizing the Trump administration and presenting political perspectives in the classroom.

Michael S. Rosenwald, “1968’s chaos: The assassinations, riots and protests that defined our world,” The Washington Post, January 1, 2018

Published on the front page two days before the 2018 meeting, this article in the Post’s Retropolis series highlights new historical perspectives on the 50th anniversary of 1968 that would occur during the AHA annual meeting.

2017

Coverage of AHA Statement on Confederate Monuments

Read national media coverage of the AHA's statement regarding the importance of historical context in debates about Confederate monuments in public spaces:

Robert Wilonsky, "Dallas wants public input before acting on Confederate monument recommendations," Dallas Morning News, October 23, 2017 (Task force used the AHA statement to make recommendations about the removal of monuments)

Rafael Cuerrero, "ECC history professors: Confederate symbols sign of white supremacy," Chicago Tribune, September 16, 2017 (Elgin Community College history professor read the AHA statement at a community event)

Christopher Carbone, “Oldest historians group on Confederate monuments: Preservation and 'historical context' needed,” Fox News, August 31, 2017

Joe Crowe, “American Historical Association: 'A Monument Is Not History',” NewsMax, August 30, 2017

Josh Delk, “Top historians: A monument is not history,” The Hill, August 30, 2017

Colleen Flaherty, “Historians Weigh In on Confederate Monuments,” Inside Higher Ed, August 30, 2017

Confederate Memorials

Janell Ross, "They were not patriots’: New Orleans removes monument to Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee,” Washington Post, May 19, 2017

Jim Grossman is quoted about the difference between history and heritage in the context of recent decisions to remove Confederate memorials.

Presidential Politics

Josh Dawsey, "They were not patriots’: New Orleans removes monument to Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee,” Politico, July 21, 2017

Jim Grossman is quoted about the potential historical legacy that Sean Spicer will receive, in light of his resignation after a brief tenure.

Fernanda Zamudio-Suarez, "Scholars See Bad Omens in Pulled Sponsorship of ‘Julius Caesar’,” Chronicle of Higher Education , June 12, 2017

Jim Grossman discusses past Shakespeare adaptions that made reference to presidential assassinations, emphasizing “the importance of historical perspective” when evaluating creative works.

Amy Wang, "Donald Trump Says he's a big fan of history. But he doesn't seem to trust historians," Washington Post, May 4, 2017

Jim Grossman explains how historians use evidence to understand the past and discusses Trump's misunderstanding of both history and the historical process.

BBC Radio 5 Live: Up All Night with Rhod Sharp, May 3, 2017 (listen at 2:38:00)

Jim Grossman is interviewed to discuss why President Trump's statement about Andrew Jackson and the Civil War caused such controversy.

Joel Gunter, Civil War Historians Take on Trump,” BBC News, May 1, 2017

Executive director Jim Grossman is one of three historians who analyze President Trump’s historically-flawed comments about Andrew Jackson and the Civil War.

Heather Timmons, “Donald Trump’s Purposely Destructive First 100 Days Set the Stage for a New Era of US Government,” Quartz, May 1, 2017

Historians, including executive director Jim Grossman, put the actions of the Trump administration’s first 100 days in historical context.

Lily Rothman, "The Historical Problem with Talking about a President’s First 100 Days," Time, January 23, 2017

An interview with Margaret O’Mara about the history of public focus on the "first hundred days" as a significant milestone in a president’s administration.

Jennifer Schuessler, "Lessons Taught: Obama’s Legacy as a Historian," New York Times, January 18, 2017

Jim Grossman is quoted by the New York Times discussing President Obama as a historian in terms of his mindset and his approach to policy.

"10 Historians on What Will Be Said about President Obama’s Legacy," Time, January 18, 2017

AHA executive director Jim Grossman is one of ten historical experts who offer an assessment of the Obama presidency from a historical perspective.

Career Diversity

Colleen Flaherty, "AAU Sets Expectation for Data Transparency on Ph.D. Program Outcomes," Inside Higher Ed, September 20, 2017

This article about efforts to improve data collection references the AHA's effort to track the careers of history PhDs as part of the Career Diversity for Historians initiative.

Kevin Gannon, "Fixing Our Job Market Problem ,” ChronicleVitae , July 24, 2017

Kevin Gannon, a participant in the AHA’s Career Diversity Faculty Institute, describes the themes that emerged as faculty members from diverse institutions discussed concrete ways to combine “strategic preparation” for 21st-century careers with “the intensive intellectual commitment of PhD study.”

Leonard Cassuto, "Walking the Career Diversity Walk ,” Chronicle of Higher Education , July 23, 2017

Leonard Cassuto, a participant in the AHA’s Career Diversity Faculty Institute profiles Kristina Markman, who was involved in the AHA’s Career Diversity pilot site program at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Vimal Patel, "Helping History PhDs Expand Their Job Options," Chronicle of Higher Education, January 29, 2017

An interview with AHA executive director Jim Grossman about the evolution of the AHA’s Career Diversity for Historians initiative from its original focus on employment beyond the professoriate to exploring how preparation for a wide range of careers also trains graduate students for the changing landscape of higher education in the 21st century.

Vimal Patel, "Opening Doors for the PhD," Chronicle of Higher Education, January 29, 2017

This article on the changes in graduate education features two of the AHA’s Career Diversity pilot sites, which are pioneering new practices that ready historians for roles outside academe, as well as equip them with the skills needed to succeed as professors.

2017 Annual Meeting

Beverly Van Buskirk, “History Project Brings Opportunities,” Le Mars Daily Sentinel, March 21, 2017

This local news story spotlights National History Day senior division individual exhibit winner Kelli Susemihl and her trip to the 2017 AHA annual meeting to present her exhibit.

Nell Gluckman, “Research or Mission: Professors of Color Face Tough Choices on Where to Work,” Chronicle of Higher Education, March 16, 2017

An examination of the struggles scholars of color face in their careers includes discussion of a panel at the 2017 AHA annual meeting, “Position and Mission: Women of Color Historians' Career Considerations and Implications.”

Clarke Reader, “Lakewood Hosts Hands-on History Tour as Part of AHA Event,” Lakewood Sentinel, January 27, 2017

The local newspaper describes the tour of West Colfax at the 2017 AHA annual meeting in Denver and what the annual meeting brings to its host city.

Colleen Flaherty, "Energizing the History Survey," Inside Higher Ed, January 12, 2017

Coverage of a panel at the 2017 AHA annual meeting in which faculty discussed new approaches to help students in survey courses start to think like historians.

Colleen Flaherty, "Historians Reject Anti-Israel Petition," Inside Higher Ed, January 12, 2017

Coverage of the 2017 business meeting, including the discussion of two petitions delivered to the AHA Council.

Advocacy

Caitlin MacNeal, “Advocates Raise the Alarm over Ripple Effects of Eliminating NEH, NEA,” Talking Points Memo, March 17, 2017

Coverage of responses to the Trump Administration’s proposal to eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities includes comments from executive director Jim Grossman about viewing these actions as “an attack upon global citizenship and national civic culture.”

Colleen Flaherty, "Oral History No Longer Subject to IRB Approval," Inside Higher Ed, January 20, 2017

This coverage of new federal guidance for Institutional Review Boards references the statement the AHA issued in 2015 to support the now-accepted policy revisions.

Jobs Report

Read coverage of the 2017 AHA Jobs Report.

Colleen Flaherty, “Withering Humanities Jobs,” Inside Higher Ed, November 21, 2017

Scott Jaschik, “Another Bad Year for History Jobs,” Inside Higher Ed, November 17, 2017

Fernanda Zamudio-Suaréz, “It’s Been 3 Decades Since There Were So Few Jobs for History Ph.D.s,” The Chronicle of Higher Education, November 16, 2017

Colleen Flaherty, "History Jobs Flat," Inside Higher Ed, January 12, 2017

Coverage of the AHA’s 2017 jobs report, showing that teaching jobs for historians are down, but that data also suggests opportunities are increasing beyond the academy.

Education

David Cutler, "You Can't Cover Everything," Edutopia.org, March 27, 2017

Executive director Jim Grossman is interviewed about the value of skills over rote memorization of facts in history education.

“Is College Worth It? Experts Pick Sides,” Wallethub.com, February 7, 2017

Executive director Jim Grossman explains the public value of college education in terms of creating both a more educated work force and a more engaged citizenry.

Prize Winners

“Professor emeritus wins American Historical Association Award,” AroundtheO (Univ. of Oregon News), November 2, 2017

“Hagley’s Horowitz earns top prize from American Historical Association,” Hockessin Community News, November 8, 2017

Steven W. Thrasher, “Year One: When Black Women Lead,” New York Review of Books, November 13, 2017 (references AHA prizes won by Keisha Blain and Sara Haley)

2016

Texas Mexican-American Textbook

Colleen Flaherty, "Historians Urge Texas Education Board to Reject 'Racist' Textbook," Inside Higher Ed, September 21, 2016

Mary Tuma, "SBOE Member Wants to "Deny Hispanics" Vote on Racist Mexican-American Textbooks," The Austin Chronicle, September 21, 2016

Rachel Glaser, "Proposed textbook 'dripping in racism,' state board member says," KXAN, September 6, 2016

Career Diversity for Historians

Cristie Collins Judd, "Revitalizing Graduate Education," Mellon Foundation, September 20, 2016

Vimal Patel, "Grants Seek to Foster a Culture Change in Humanities Graduate Education," The Chronicle of Higher Education, August 9, 2016

Mark Peters, "Social science researchers partner with Illinois town on civic challenge," UChicago News, June 15, 2016

Aaron Hilf, "Historical reenactment opens doors to movies and TV," UMN Newsroom, March 24, 2016

Julia Miller Vick and Jennifer S. Furlong, "When the Job Search Seems Hopeless," The Chronicle of Higher Education, February 22, 2016

Conshandra Dillard, "Slocum Massacre historical marker unveiled," Tyler Morning Telegraph, Jan 16, 2016

Alfreda James, "From Linguistic Judo to Hustle," Inside Higher Ed, Jan 18, 2016

History Education

Scott Jaschik, "History Enrollments Drop," Inside Higher Ed, September 6, 2016

Katherine Mangan, "As Dual Enrollments Swell, So Do Worries About Academic Rigor," The Chronicle of Higher Education, July 22, 2016

Christine Gross-Loh, "A Better Way to Teach History," The Atlantic, February 8, 2016

Jon Marcus, "The Unexpected Schools Championing the Liberal Arts," The Atlantic, October 15, 2015

Job Market

Scott Jaschik, "History Jobs Drop," Inside Higher Ed, February 5, 2016

Scott Jaschik, "The Shrinking Ph.D. Job Market," Inside Higher Ed, April 4, 2016

2016 Business Meeting

Colleen Flaherty, "Historians Reject Measure Criticizing Israel," Inside Higher Ed, Jan 11, 2016

Ernie Smith, "Historians Again Reject Israel Rebuke at Annual Meeting," Associations Now, Jan 11, 2015

Jennifer Schuessler, "Historian Group Rejects a Resolution Condemning Israel," New York Times ArtsBeat Blog, Jan 9, 2016

2016 Annual Meeting Plenary

Monica Hesse, "The South's Confederate-monument problem is not going away," The Washington Post, May 8, 2016

Phillip Tutor, "Memory or History," The Anniston Star (Alabama), Jan 17, 2016

Colleen Flaherty, "Confronting the Past," Inside Higher Ed, Jan 8, 2016

2015

AHA Award and Prize Winners

Lifting the veil: ASU historian receives national recognition, ASU News, December 31, 2015

UW-L Professor Honored with National Equity Award, La Crosse Tribune, October 16, 2015

Grad School, Looney Recognized for Helping Underrepresented Students Succeed, Duke Graduate School News blog, October 9, 2015

Confederate Flag Debate

Emma Brown, 150 Years Later, Schools are Still a Battlefield for Interpreting Civil War, Washington Post, July 5, 2015

Wesley Pruden, The Civil War that Never Ends, The Washington Times, July 6, 2015

Lisa Suhay, Confederate Monuments Targeted by Vandals: Time to Rethink Memorials?, Christian Science Monitor, June 23, 2015

Jim Grossman speaking on the Jimmy Barrett Show (WVRA Radio), July 7, 2015

Tenure in Wisconsin

Andy Thomason, 21 Scholarly Groups Denounce Cutting of Tenure Protections in Wisconsin, The Chronicle of Higher Education, June 11, 2015.

Karen Herzog, Vos Stands by Budget Provision on Tenure, Shared Governance, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, June 12, 2015.

Kimberly Hefling, Scott Walker's Latest Target: College Professors, Politico.com, June 18, 2015.

Kathryn Lynch, Cutting the Liberal Arts Undermines Our Cultural Traditions, Washington Post, June 19, 2015.

Annual Meeting

Jen Guiliano, ACH at the American Historical Association's 2015 Conference, The Association for Computers in the Humanities. January 27, 2015.

Peter Cajka, Recap: 2015 Annual Meeting in NYC, American Catholic Historical Association, January 27, 2015.

Nation's Historians Warn the Past Is Expanding at Alarming Rate, The Onion, January 22, 2015.

Heather Munro Prescott, Thoughts on #AHA2015 #s69, Doing More with Less: The Promise and Pitfalls of Short-form Scholarship in the Digital History Age, Knitting Clio, January 21, 2015.

Claire Potter, The Rules Were Not Suspended: What Happened at the AHA Business Meeting, Tenured Radical, January 5, 2015.

Jennifer Howard, Historians Decline to Take Up Resolutions Criticizing Israel, The Chronicle of Higher Education, January 5, 2015.

Rick Shenkman, Historians Decide NOT to Debate Resolutions Critical of Israel, History News Network, January 4, 2015.

Jennifer Schuessler, Scholars' Effort to Condemn Israel Fails, The New York Times, January 5, 2015.

Yair Rosenberg, American Historical Association Shelves Anti-Israel Resolutions, Tablet Magazine, January 5, 2015.

Colleen Flaherty, Historians Discuss Ways to Engage Students on Ferguson Protests, Inside Higher Ed, January 6, 2015.

---

Archived News