12/12/11: So You Love History?
December 12, 2011I was recently asked to speak at a Rotary meeting about the history of the Boise Foothills and the city’s Greenbelt and River preservation. The meeting was a treat to attend. I participated in the Pledge of Allegiance (not sure the last time I recited that!), and the singing of My Country Tis’ of Thee. All of it brought back memories and a bit of nostalgia for my childhood. We met in the beautiful Crystal Ballroom at the Hoff Building, an art deco building in downtown Boise. The Hoff Building The most interesting and exciting event at the meeting was Rotary’s “History Minute,” where one member interviewed another. The interviewee, in this case, was a woman whose family had a long history in Boise. The answers she gave to the questions gave the 80+ people in the room a glimpse of Idaho’s development history, and I appreciated the respect this organization gave to our ties to the past. Thanks to Rotary for keeping people engaged in their communities and in history!
I also was recently asked to write a column for the newsletter of the Coordinating Council for Women in History. The column focuses on what a person can do with a degree in History, and why the subject still matters in our modern lives. As I tell my students, I think it’s critical to follow your passion and to realize along the way that you might have to get creative to make it work. But to pursue something that doesn’t interest you simply because there’s a market for it has never made a lot of sense to me. Happy reading, and Happy Holidays!
What Can I Do With a Ph.D. In History?