I suspect that there are multiple factors at work that explain why the number of undergraduate history majors has dropped in recent years as well as the decline in course enrollments and funding for the discipline.
I have a t-shirt that proudly proclaims "It's Not Hoarding If It's Books." I also have a sweatshirt that reads: "Abibliophobia: (noun) The fear of running out of books to read."
I probably have more unread books (primarily history) than I will be able to read in my time left on earth considering the fact that I am turning 69 a little later this year.
I have loved history for as many of my seventy years as I can remember.
But from sixth grade on all my history teachers were football coaches. In Virginia, through the 1970s at least, history had the least number of credits required for teaching. And they taught like they didn’t enjoy it very much.
My twelfth grade government class teacher was Mr. Binns, who loved the Constitution and taught that way.
Poor teaching didn’t stop me from loving history. But I suspect it did discourage many from caring about it at all.
I'll never understand why so many schools let coaches teach history. I had great history teachers until my family moved & I found myself in US History taught by the high school's athletic director. He was such a dim bulb, I, formerly quiet and meek in class, ended up arguing with him constantly. I suspect that by 12th grade I had read much more history than that teacher.
This practice has to make many students hate or be apathetic to history. It's just crazy.
My first "real" job out of college (early '80s) was in the marketing department at Oxford University Press NY. I presented to C. Vann Woodward (and editor Sheldon Myer) our marketing plan for the paperback of his edited version of Mary Chesnut's diary. Little did I know at the time what a powerhouse we were in American history publishing!
In the meantime my university just gutted its Humanities programs and when I retire after this semester, I'll be "replaced" by an adjunct who teaches a US History survey, but no-one will be left to teach post-1876 US History.
I have a t-shirt that proudly proclaims "It's Not Hoarding If It's Books." I also have a sweatshirt that reads: "Abibliophobia: (noun) The fear of running out of books to read."
I probably have more unread books (primarily history) than I will be able to read in my time left on earth considering the fact that I am turning 69 a little later this year.
Ummm, typo? “...academic historian, who only rights for his fellow academics...”
I have loved history for as many of my seventy years as I can remember.
But from sixth grade on all my history teachers were football coaches. In Virginia, through the 1970s at least, history had the least number of credits required for teaching. And they taught like they didn’t enjoy it very much.
My twelfth grade government class teacher was Mr. Binns, who loved the Constitution and taught that way.
Poor teaching didn’t stop me from loving history. But I suspect it did discourage many from caring about it at all.
I'll never understand why so many schools let coaches teach history. I had great history teachers until my family moved & I found myself in US History taught by the high school's athletic director. He was such a dim bulb, I, formerly quiet and meek in class, ended up arguing with him constantly. I suspect that by 12th grade I had read much more history than that teacher.
This practice has to make many students hate or be apathetic to history. It's just crazy.
My first "real" job out of college (early '80s) was in the marketing department at Oxford University Press NY. I presented to C. Vann Woodward (and editor Sheldon Myer) our marketing plan for the paperback of his edited version of Mary Chesnut's diary. Little did I know at the time what a powerhouse we were in American history publishing!
Thanks for sharing this little piece of personal history. I love that book.
In the meantime my university just gutted its Humanities programs and when I retire after this semester, I'll be "replaced" by an adjunct who teaches a US History survey, but no-one will be left to teach post-1876 US History.
;-(
I am very sorry to hear this, Mark.
I don’t think you could ever read too much, Kevin. I certainly don’t read enough! 😀
Tell that to my editors who are waiting patiently for my work. LOL