Working Historians is a podcast series that showcases the work and careers of historians in a wide variety of career fields. We hope to introduce history students and the general public to the career paths available to people who study history, introduce and promote historians to students and the public, and showcase the work that historians do on a regular basis. Hosts Rob Denning and Jimmy Fennessy can be reached at workinghistorians@gmail.com.
Episodes
Thursday Oct 03, 2024
History Speaker Series with Will McLean Greeley and the Birdman of the Senate
Thursday Oct 03, 2024
Thursday Oct 03, 2024
In this episode, Will McLean Greeley discusses his recent book, a Connecticut Yankee Goes to Washington: Senator George P. McLean, Birdman of the Senate, a biography of politician George MacLean, a Gilded Age and Progressive Era reformer and conservationist whose best known accomplishment was the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. Will Greeley holds degrees in political science and archive administration and worked in government and corporate market research before his recent retirement.
Monday Aug 12, 2024
History Speaker Series with Kristen Engel and Henrician Spectacle
Monday Aug 12, 2024
Monday Aug 12, 2024
In this episode, Kristen Engel discusses her experiences in a graduate program at the University of Connecticut and her dissertation research, which uses courtly spectacle to examine the portrayals of political and cultural ideals in the courts of Henry VII and Henry VIII, which led to political and cultural transformations in early Tudor England. She teaches history at Southern New Hampshire University and is the editor-in-chief of “The Court Observer” for the Society for Court Studies.
Monday Jul 29, 2024
History Speaker Series with Dr. Jamie Goodall and Pirate Black Sam Bellamy
Monday Jul 29, 2024
Monday Jul 29, 2024
In this episode, Dr. Jamie Goodall discusses her new book, The Daring Exploits of Pirate Black Sam Bellamy: From Cape Cod to the Caribbean, which describes the political, cultural, legal, and economic relationships between pirates and the coast of colonial New England. Dr. Goodall teaches American history at Southern New Hampshire University and is a historian with the U.S. Army Center of Military History in Washington, D.C.
Friday May 24, 2024
History Speaker Series with Dr. Allen York and Civil War Pittsburgh
Friday May 24, 2024
Friday May 24, 2024
In this episode, Dr. Allen York discusses his new book, Our People Are Warlike: Civil War Pittsburgh and Home-Front Mobilization, which connects the wartime experience of Pittsburgh into the larger narrative of the war revealing how the mobilization of the community was shaped by both prewar and frontline events and forces. Dr. York teaches military history at Southern New Hampshire University and Liberty University.
Recommendations:
Ana Maria Spagna, Pushed: Miners, a Merchant, and (Maybe) a Massacre (Salt Lake City: Torrey House Press, 2023).
Friday Apr 19, 2024
Friday Apr 19, 2024
Dr. Luke Peterson teaches Arabic and Middle Eastern history at Southern New Hampshire University and Duquesne University. In this episode, Dr. Peterson discusses his new book, The U.S. Military in the Print News Media: Service and Sacrifice in Contemporary Discourse, which “analyzes the history of the popular discourse in the United States concerned with the U.S. military and its engagement in foreign wars from the Spanish-American War through to the U.S. invasions of Iraq and the War on Terror.”
Friday Oct 06, 2023
Friday Oct 06, 2023
Jazlyn Sanderson is the Director of the Museum of Native American History in Bentonville, Arkansas. In this episode, Jazlyn talks to Southern New Hampshire University’s David Buresh about the benefits of having a history degree and how to get into the museum field. David and Jazlyn go into different types of internships within the Museum of Native American History, as well as how to make yourself stand out in the industry overall.
This episode was originally broadcast on Southern New Hampshire University’s Passion and Practicality podcast feed.
Sunday Sep 17, 2023
Sunday Sep 17, 2023
Get out your parchment and quill, it’s Constitution Day! In this episode, Rob will discuss the historical origins of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, how legal and popular conceptions of the Amendment have changed over the decades, and how the Amendment is relevant to our present political sphere.
Dr. Denning is the Associate Dean for Southern New Hampshire University’s online graduate and undergraduate history programs, the host of the Working Historians podcast series, and producer of the Passion and Practicality podcast series.
Friday Sep 01, 2023
Friday Sep 01, 2023
Karen Kincaid Brady is the Programming Director for the Neill-Cochran House Museum in Austin, Texas. In this episode, Karen talks to Southern New Hampshire University’s Callie Cook about the value of building your network, career opportunities in history, and creative ways to connect and build experiences with colleagues.
This episode was originally broadcast on Southern New Hampshire University’s Passion and Practicality podcast feed.
Friday Aug 18, 2023
Friday Aug 18, 2023
Karl McKinnon is the Assistant Director of Operations and Chief Financial Officer at the Schiele Museum of Natural History and Planetarium in Gastonia, North Carolina. Today Karl speaks with Southern New Hampshire University’s Peter Bartel about how to make yourself stand out when applying for careers in the museum world, the importance of exuding passion in your work, and the value of having experience outside of the classroom.
This episode was originally broadcast on Southern New Hampshire University’s Passion and Practicality podcast feed.
Friday Aug 04, 2023
Friday Aug 04, 2023
Buster Ratliff is the Director of Operations for the Cultural Foundation of the Texas Panhandle & Panhandle-Plains Museum on the campus of West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas. In this episode, Buster talks with Southern New Hampshire University’s Callie Cook about the value of building your network and understanding company values.
This episode was originally broadcast on Southern New Hampshire University’s Passion and Practicality podcast feed.
Friday Jul 21, 2023
Friday Jul 21, 2023
Bonnie Barnes is the Executive Director for Keys History and Discovery Center in Florida. In this episode, Bonnie talks to Southern New Hampshire University’s Callie Cook about informational interviewing, company research, and the different career paths one can explore with a history degree.
This episode was originally broadcast on Southern New Hampshire University’s Passion and Practicality podcast feed.
Friday Jun 30, 2023
Friday Jun 30, 2023
Tim Garrity has served as a hospital administrator and the director of the Mount Desert Island Historical Society, from which he recently retired. We have talked to Tim before about his organization, but this time we discuss his view of the liberal arts in general, what liberal arts degree holders bring to various industries, and what liberal arts students should learn to market themselves better for different career paths. For more information on Tim and the Mount Desert Island Historical Society, listen to our earlier conversation here and learn more about the Society here.
This episode was originally broadcast on Southern New Hampshire University’s Passion and Practicality podcast feed.
Friday Jun 09, 2023
Should I Go to Graduate School (MA or PhD) for History?
Friday Jun 09, 2023
Friday Jun 09, 2023
Rob keeps the gang together to answer the question often posed by history majors: Should I go to graduate school in history? Eric Greisinger, Allison Millward, CB Repass, Matt Schandler, Ryan Tripp, and Rob discuss the magnitude and consequences of the decision to pursue master’s or doctoral degrees in history, share some of their grad school experiences, and muse about whether or not their degrees were worth the time and energy.
Speaker timeline:
01:16 - Matt Schandler
12:21 - Rob Denning
29:49 - CB Repass
31:21 - Ryan Tripp
33:36 - Allison Millward
36:02 - Eric Greisinger
37:26 - Allison Millward
39:49 - Eric Greisinger
40:12 - Rob Denning
41:10 - CB Repass
42:16 - Ryan Tripp
44:11 - Rob Denning
47:00 - Allison Millward
47:41 - Eric Greisinger
48:39 - Allison Millward
49:30 - Ryan Tripp
49:53 - Rob Denning
50:42 - Eric Greisinger
51:08 - Ryan Tripp
51:53 - Allison Millward
52:27 - Rob Denning
Friday Apr 28, 2023
How Do I Write a History Research Paper?
Friday Apr 28, 2023
Friday Apr 28, 2023
In this final episode of our series on how historians research and write on historical topics, the panel tackles the writing process: How do you organize your thoughts and get past that dreaded blank page?
Speaker timeline:
00:54 - Matt Schandler
06:36 - CB Repass
07:55 - Ryan Tripp
10:03 - Allison Millward
12:42 - Eric Greisinger
14:22 - Rob Denning
17:49 - Ryan Tripp
18:59 - CB Repass
20:14 - Matt Schandler
21:43 - Rob Denning
Friday Apr 14, 2023
How Do I Develop a Thesis Statement?
Friday Apr 14, 2023
Friday Apr 14, 2023
In this fifth episode of our series on how historians research and write on historical topics, the panel tackles thesis statements: What are they, why they are important, and how do you develop them?
Speaker timeline:
00:51 - Matt Schandler
04:56 - Eric Greisinger
05:17 - Rob Denning
06:05 - CB Repass
06:15 - Rob Denning
06:38 - Eric Greisinger
06:44 - Rob Denning
07:26 - Ryan Tripp
08:15 - CB Repass
08:49 - Allison Millward
09:46 - Rob Denning
11:07 - Eric Greisinger
11:39 - Rob Denning
Friday Mar 31, 2023
How Do I Find Primary Sources for a History Research Project?
Friday Mar 31, 2023
Friday Mar 31, 2023
In this fourth episode of our series on how historians research and write on historical topics, the panel explains how they identify relevant primary sources that will help them go beyond the existing secondary source literature. We will discuss different ways to search for relevant and useful primary sources, how to determine which primary sources might be more useful or important than others, and the historian’s ethical responsibility to be familiar with as much of the primary source base as possible.
Speaker timeline:
02:15 - CB Repass
04:14 - Eric Greisinger
05:11 - Ryan Tripp
06:00 - Matt Schandler
10:40 - Rob Denning
13:23 - Matt Schandler
15:20 - Allison Millward
17:18 - Eric Greisinger
17:32 - Rob Denning
19:08 - CB Repass
21:11 - Ryan Tripp
21:34 - Rob Denning
22:28 - Eric Greisinger
Friday Mar 17, 2023
How Do I Find Secondary Sources for a History Research Project?
Friday Mar 17, 2023
Friday Mar 17, 2023
In this third episode of our series on how historians research and write on historical topics, the panel explains how they tackle the potentially vast body of existing secondary sources that will help them provide context on the research project. We discuss different ways to search for secondary sources, how to determine which secondary sources might be more useful or important than others, and the historian’s ethical responsibility to be familiar with the entire existing literature on the topic.
Speaker timeline:
02:42 - CB Repass
03:20 - Matt Schandler
07:31 - Allison Millward
08:14 - Eric Greisinger
09:11 - Matt Schandler
11:08 - Allison Millward
11:45 - CB Repass
13:07 - Allison Millward
14:14 - Ryan Tripp
15:02 - Eric Greisinger
15:21 - CB Repass
15:34 - Rob Denning
18:13 - Matt Schandler
20:27 - Ryan Tripp
21:35 - Rob Denning
Friday Mar 03, 2023
How Do I Develop a Historical Research Question?
Friday Mar 03, 2023
Friday Mar 03, 2023
In this second episode of our series on how historians research and write on historical topics, the panel tackles the importance and selection of a good research question, which will guide the historian throughout the research process.
Speaker timeline:
01:00 - CB Repass
01:48 - Eric Greisinger
02:13 - CB Repass
02:28 - Matt Schandler
03:09 - Allison Millward
04:48 - Rob Denning
05:55 - CB Repass
06:15 - Ryan Tripp
06:51 - Rob Denning
08:14 - Matt Schandler
11:53 - CB Repass
12:00 - Rob Denning
Friday Feb 17, 2023
How Do I Find a History Research Topic?
Friday Feb 17, 2023
Friday Feb 17, 2023
With this episode we are launching a new series on how historians research and write on historical topics, starting with the selection of a research topic and ending with the writing process. In this first episode, a panel of historians discuss the initial selection of a research topic.
Speaker timeline:
00:58 - CB Repass
01:58 - Ryan Tripp
02:48 - Allison Millward
04:31 - Eric Greisinger
05:31 - Allison Millward
05:36 - Rob Denning
06:10 - CB Repass
06:47 - Eric Greisinger
07:10 - Ryan Tripp
07:51 - Matthew Schandler
11:05 - Rob Denning
13:24 - Matthew Schandler
15:10 - Rob Denning
16:05 - Matthew Schandler
Friday Feb 03, 2023
Legal Careers for Historians: Mathew Merz - Conflicts Analyst, Akerman LLP
Friday Feb 03, 2023
Friday Feb 03, 2023
Mathew Merz earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Southern New Hampshire University in 2020 and works as Conflicts Analyst at Akerman LLP. In this episode, Mathew discusses the research, writing, and analytical skills that he learned as a history major which have been particularly useful to his job as a researcher for a law firm.
Recommendations and Links:
Yuval Noah Harari, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind (Random House, 2014) - recommended by Mathew Merz
Derry Girls, created by Lisa McGee, Netflix - recommended by Jimmy
“American Historical Association Action Alert Concerning Proposed History Standards for Virginia (February 2023)” - recommended by Rob
David Gilbert, “Inside a US Neo-Nazi Homeschool Network With Thousands of Members,” Vice News, January 29, 2023
Nilanjana Roy, “How Teen Vogue Got Political,” Financial Times, January 24, 2017
Friday Jan 20, 2023
Friday Jan 20, 2023
Nina Thomas is the manager of the Westerville History Museum, which is part of the public library system in Westerville, Ohio. In this episode, Nina discusses her academic and professional background, life as a museum manager, the nature of the museum’s public outreach efforts, and what a museum manager might look for in job applicants.
Recommendations:
Clint Smith, How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America (Little, Brown, 2021) - recommended by Nina
Philomena Cunk - recommended by Nina
Jennifer Schuessler, “As Historians Gather, No Truce in the History Wars,” New York Times, January 8, 2023 - recommended by Rob
Friday Jan 06, 2023
Friday Jan 06, 2023
In this episode, Rob talks to Deb Gogliettino, Associate Dean for online Business Academics at Southern New Hampshire University, about the ways that her undergraduate degree in history has helped her business-oriented career, which included positions in human resources, business administration, and academics. We also discuss how history students can market themselves to non-academic employers.
Friday Dec 16, 2022
Friday Dec 16, 2022
In this episode, Jimmy and Rob talk to Paul Witcover, Associate Dean for the online Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program at Southern New Hampshire University, about his recent novel, Lincolnstein, and the skills and responsibilities required of authors writing historical fiction.
Recommendations:
Paul Witcover, Lincolnstein (PS Publishing, 2021) - recommended by Rob
Victor Klemperer, I Will Bear Witness (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1998) - recommended by Paul Witcover
Meet Me in the Bathroom, Will Lovelance, Dylan Southern, and Andrew Cross, dirs., (2022) - recommended by Jimmy
The Civil War, Ken Burns, dir. (1990) - recommended by Rob
Friday Dec 02, 2022
Friday Dec 02, 2022
In this second episode on the Black Death, the Spanish Flu, and Covid-19, Rob Denning, James Fennessy, and Scotty Edler discuss the long-term political, social, economic, and cultural consequences of the plague and the flu, and they attempt to use those precedents to predict the long-term effects of Covid-19 on our own future lives.
Friday Nov 18, 2022
Friday Nov 18, 2022
During the next two episodes, Rob and James talk to Scotty Edler about his research into the causes and consequences of three major disease epidemics: the Black Death, the Spanish Flu, and Covid-19. Here we discuss the historical contexts of each disease and the lessons learned from each outbreak.