The Primary Source | Fall 2014

1

A biannual publication 3rd

edition – Fall 2014

P H I A L P H A T H E T A

The PRIMARY SOURCE

The Newsletter for the Department of History at the University of Idaho

Department News

A word from the

chair; Featured

alumnus Adam M.

Guerin

Page 2

Study Abroad

Student and Faculty

Perspectives on

Study Abroad

Page 3

Undergraduate

Spotlights

Featured

accomplished

undergraduates

Page 4

History

Remembered Graduate Student

James McNaughton

on post-WWI

archaeological digs;

Phi Alpha Theta

Initiation Dinner

Page 5

Graduate Student

Spotlights

Featured graduate

students

Page 6

Faculty News and

Publications

Dr. Dale Graden

reflects on his recent

work; Professor

Ronnenberg

awarded Esto

Perpetua

Pages 7-9

Remembrance and

Recognition

A remembrance of

William and Janet

Greeverand Robert

Brower;

Recognition of

Donors

Page 10-11

Professor Sowards Goes to

Washington

Adam Sowards shares his experience as a speaker at the

United States Supreme Court honoring

Justice William O. Douglas

In May 2014, Associate Professor Adam Sowards

traveled to the United States Supreme Court to

celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the appointment

of Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas (b.

1898–d.1980). Douglas’s widow, Cathleen Douglas

Stone, invited Sowards to participate in a panel on

Douglas’s environmental contributions during his

tenure as Supreme Court Justice (1939–75).

Over two hundred people attended the

celebration, which honored all aspecets of

Douglas’ life and legacy on and off the Court.

Many of the participants and attendees were

outstanding scholars, including law professors,

lawyers, judges, and Douglas’s former law clerks.

The opening remarks were delivered by the Chief

Justice himself: John Roberts, Jr. Following the

panel discussions, there was a formal dinner

where Douglas’s friends and colleagues told

stories about him — many of which were not

public knowledge.Sowards recalls, “It was

wonderful to hear personal stories about this man

whom I researched for a long time.”As many of

our readers may know, Sowards wrote a scholarly

biography of Douglas and his ecolological work,

entitled The Environmental Justice: William O.

Douglas and American Conservation (2009). Sowards

says that scholars have written a number of

biographies on Justice Douglas, often focusing

upon his life and legal contributions. Nonetheless,

before Sowards’s book, historians had rarely

considered Douglas’s important ecological work in

any systematic fashion.

“I think people really overlooked how important it

was to his life,” Sowards says, “None of them [his

biographers] understood how it fit in the broader

history of the environmental movement since they

were not environmental historians–they were

judicial biographers. Their interest was in the

Court and my interest was not in the court.”

When asked if it was difficult to write for a non-

historical audience, Sowards responds that he

“appreciated the challenge.” The writing

experience differed from that of his classroom

lectures or professional papers because it was a

speech, written for non-historians who were

unfamiliar with the Northwest, while focusing on

a topic apart from his legal attribution. He found it

to be a “tall order” to give an entertaining speech

that incorporated many topics — but could last

only seventeen minutes.

These challenges notwithstanding, Sowards’s

speech was well received. “It was a test for people

who knew him

about whether I

had got it right. I

did and no one

corrected me. It

was neat. It was

nice to revisit the

work […] and

“see it with fresh

eyes and to know I was speaking to his widow and

other prominent people.”

Following his panel, one participant came forward

to introduce himself to Sowards: Laurence Tribe.

Tribe is a renowned professor of law at Harvard

University. Famously, he helped write the

constitutions of South Africa and the Czech

Republic, and he even argued the controversial

Gore v. Bush case before the Supreme Court, which

effectively decided the presidential election of

2000. Sowards says, recalls that, “getting to meet

him was pretty incredible. He is one of the leading

civil libertarians in the world. He is an incredible

presence in the field of law.” Best yet, “he was

very kind and complimentary” about the speech

that Sowards gave.

Continued on page 2

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D E P A R T M E N T N E W S

A W O R D F R O M T H E C H A I R

We wish all of our readers a fabulous close to their fall experiences and a great start to the New Year.

We should begin by acknowledging with considerable regret the loss of two people who have long been near and dear to the Department of History: Dr. Janet Greever and Judge Robert Brower. Dr. Janet Greever was the wife of the late William Greever, who was a professor in the Department and served for several decades as its chair. She completed her doctorate in Latin American Studies and also taught for the University of Idaho. Judge Brower, an Idaho law school alumnus, was the beloved brother of Nancy Dafoe, whom many of you remember as our Department’s indefatigable administrative assistant. His two boys, Benjamin and Brady, studied history at Idaho and then went on to become major historians — both of them working on modern France. Both Dr. Greever and Judge Brower are eulogized within the pages of our newsletter.

Elsewhere you can read about our distinguished alumnus Adam Guerin, who, like Ben and Brady Brower, went on to study modern French history. We also detail the recent scholarly accomplishments of Dale Graden and Adam Sowards, as well as Herman Ronenberg’s continuing studies of Idaho beer history — a subject which is best savored with pretzels and peanuts.

Lastly you’ll also find all sorts of details about our undergraduate and graduate students, and James MacNaughton relates how history can sometimes get louder than bombs.

We thank you again — dear readers —for all your support. As always, we hope to hear from you, and so please don’t be shy about sending us updates about your accomplishments.

Most sincerely yours, Sean M. Quinlan, Professor & Chair

Continuation from page 1

Sowards’s wife also joined him at the event.

During their time in Washington, they visited

many monuments and historical places, including

a section of the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal (which

was built in the 1820s). The C&O Canal runs

approximately 200 miles from Washington, D.C. to

Maryland. In 1950s, local authorites had planned

to turn the canal into a highway; however in 1954,

Justice Douglas helped save it from destruction by

organizing a large hiking path along the tow. Now

the canal is a national historic park and is

dedicated to him. This trip was the first time

Sowards had walked along the path since he

published The Environmental Justice. He describes

the experience as “almost a pilgrimage.”

Sowards is currently reworking his speech into a

journal article. In the future, he hopes that he can

continue to address his work to larger, non-

specialist audience. ~Melissa Courtnage

Featured Alumni

Adam M. Guerin

On Preparing for a Career in History

Adam M. Guerin is one of the History

Department’s great success stories. He received

his B.A. in History from the University of Idaho in

2002 and he then went on to earn an MA and PhD

from the University of California at Irvine in 2009.

Now he’s an assistant professor of French colonial

history at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida.

In his research, he focuses upon modern North

Africa, but he teaches widely on European colonial

history, French history, environmental history, and

the modern Middle East.

Guerin transferred to the University of Idaho in

2001 from a liberal arts college in the Midwest. At

the time, however, he was not sure transferring to

the University of Idaho was the right choice for

him.

“To be honest,” he recalls “I was not entirely sold

on the idea of leaving a small liberal arts college

for a large university like the U of I. They say that

students can get lost at big state schools, that they

do not get as much one-on-one time with

professors, that at worst the education can be

anonymous.”

Luckily for Guerin, Idaho’s history program

proved nothing of the sort. As he puts it, “The

faculty in the History Department—especially

professors Quinlan, Spence, and Graden—worked

closely with me to develop my interests in Europe,

France, and Empire and got me thinking about

graduate school opportunities. Sean Quinlan was

instrumental in helping me prepare for a doctoral

program and he remains an important mentor.”

When asked how exactly the UI History Program

helped him discover and explore his research

interests, Guerin pointed to the wide breadth of

coursework available to him as an undergraduate.

“Like most students,” he says “I had general

interests but did not really understand what it

meant to specialize in a particular field. Taking a

range of courses helped me think comparatively.

Working one-on-one with Sean Quinlan on a

senior thesis enabled me to focus on a series of

analytical questions, although he also encouraged

me to think transnationally and not get boxed into

a particular national narrative. This advice helped

in grad school when I moved from a more

Eurocentric approach to world/colonial history.”

Many undergraduate students can feel

overwhelmed or lost when considering higher

education beyond the undergraduate degree. Here

Guerin described how history became a serious

career prospect for him, and how the UI history

faculty provided the crucial support he needed to

pursue this decision.

“Dale Graden was the first person to suggest that I

could probably ‘keep doing history for the rest of

my life,’”Guerin affirms. “At the time, I don’t

think I really knew what that meant. But over the

next couple of semesters I learned about what the

jump to graduate school would entail and what

type of preparation would go into the application

process.”

“In this regard,” Guerin continues “Professor

Quinlan was, again, a phenomenal resource: he

read multiple drafts of statements of purpose,

helped me map out the field of history to learn

who was teaching where, what types of funding

would be available, etc. Even after leaving the U of

I he provided me with a ‘must read’ booklist to get

me ready for my first history and theory class at

UC Irvine. He correctly predicted about 75% of the

reading list for that very challenging course.

Needless to say, the head start was incredibly

helpful.”

The preparation Guerin received from the

University of Idaho History Department helped

him achieve success beyond the bachelor’s degree.

Now that he’s finished his PhD and landed his first

job, Guerin is writing his first scholarly book –

Disaster Ecologies: Rural Modernization and the

Remaking of the Moroccan Peasantry, 1904-1939–

which explores the social and environmental

consequences of French modernization in

Morocco. ~Gustave Lester

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Adventures Abroad

Student and Faculty Perspectiveson StudyingAbroad

This semester the History Department wants to

encourage studying abroad and emphasize why

it’s so formative for history students. All across

the university, students, faculty and staff have

participated in this opportunity and our history

majors are no exception.

For history majors, one of the greatest benefits of

studying abroad is the immersion experience: you

can learn about history by experiencing a place’s

culture in the present.

Last spring, Professor Ellen Kittell taught history

in the University of Pau in southwestern France.

She says, “As European historians we can

experience it firsthand, and I can get students to

experience it firsthand. I sent them off to see

museums and historical sights, all for the benefit of

an embedded experience you can’t get anywhere

else.”

One day she could teach about a painting and then

send her students off to see the original thing!

“When I teach them like this, they get it,” she says.

Jeff Meyers – who’s currently one of our doctoral

students – affirms Kittell’s insight. He says, “I

grew up with an interest in Russian history and

literature, and when I got to Russia it was like it all

clicked for me. Everything sort of came together.”

Kristian Strub, who just graduated from the

University of Idaho with an MA in history, had a

similar experience. His first study abroad

experience was part of a class on Turkish history –

which included, of all things, a two-week trip to

Istanbul. “It’s class in action,” he remembers.

To give one example: Strub took advantage of his

year in Germany to travel extensively. “That’s why

I chose Germany,” he says. “Part of it was

heritage; the other part was its central location in

Europe.” During this time, he also travelled to

thirteen other countries, including Britain, Sweden,

and Hungary. During these adventures, he recalls,

“I was amazed to think about who was there and

what was there. It’s easy to get carried away and

day dream.”

Immersion experiences often entail learning

foreign languages – a key tool in the historian’s

trade. In study abroad programs, students often

have the option to take classes either in their native

language or in a language they are studying. For

example, Strub took classes in both English and

German when he attended a second study abroad

program in Germany in 2007–08.

“When I first got there it was a little intimidating,”

he admits, but by the second semester he felt

confident enough to take all of his classes in

German.

For his part, Myers claims that he learned more

Russian in the two weeks that he spent abroad

than he did in a classroom setting. He explains, “I

was forced to use it and it was all I had.”

Jeff Meyers in front of the Church of Jesus on Spilled

Blood in St. Petersburg, Russia

Professor Sarah Nelson, an associate professor of

French in the Department of Modern Languages

and Culture at the University of Idaho, provides

her insight as a professor of foreign language. Like

Kittell, Nelson also taught in Pau. In 2012, she

offered two classes: “French Cultures and

Institutions” and “Nineteenth and Twentieth

Century French and Francophone Literature.” She

recalls: “Originally I was going to teach in English,

but I ended up teaching in French.”

Both Kittell and Nelson taught through USAC, the

University Studies Abroad Consortium. While on a

USAC program, instructors must teach two classes.

Kittell went with her spouse Professor Kurt

Queller, also of the Department of Modern

Languages and Culture, who taught a class on the

History of English, with an emphasis on French

influence.

There’s another important benefit of studying

abroad: namely, the spirit of adventure that comes

with foreign travel. Students find that they really

discover themselves and that their lives and

outlooks change in seemingly unimaginable ways.

Foreign travel also transforms professors – and

their families. On several occasions, Kittell and

Queller took their children with them and enrolled

them in local schools. Nelson did the same with

her son when she taught in France. “It was a great

way to meet locals,” Kittell explains. “In fact, we

made friends who we still talk to.” Both Professor

Graden and Professor Quinlan have also

participated in exchange programs with their

families, adding to the great diversity of our

history program. By learning another culture and

language, you also become more aware of your

own. As Kittell explains, “Culture shock coming

back is very difficult if you have had a good time.

It is such an extraordinary experience, you form

friendships with Americans in the most unlikely

places, and here you just don’t have that

intimacy.” Nelson agreed: “Every time you come

back from being abroad, the place that you are

from looks different to you. It takes a while to

remember the familiar.”

Despite all these positive benefits, students

sometimes feel reticent about studying abroad.

Kittell says it’s a fear of the unknown: “It’s

something new, and it can be something you never

planned on even considering, but you should

definitely consider it. Especially while you are still

a student.” By contrast, Strub sees this reticence as

a matter of money. “Frankly,” he said “it added a

lot to my student debt but I want people to know

that because it is a small cost in comparison to

what I got from it.”

The good news is that the University of Idaho

offers many opportunities for its students to

participate in exchange programs, including

USAC. Strub studied abroad through Lexia

International, while Myers acted completely

independently and created his own program! You

should know that study abroad programs offer

students coursework designed to appeal to their

level of comfort.

If financial concerns keep you from studying

abroad, remember that the University of Idaho

offers scholarships and other forms of financial

aid. It’s something to consider, because it is such a

formative and life-changing experience!

Follow the link to learn more about the study

abroad program here on campus:

http://www.uidaho.edu/international/study-

abroad

~Ben Bridges

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U N D E R G R A D U A T E S P O T L I G H T

Rachael Guenthner Rachel Guenthner is originally from Nampa, Idaho. She’s now a senior,

double-majoring in History and in English.

Rachel is a newly initiated member of the History Honors Society, Phi

Alpha Theta. When asked about why she decided to join, she said, “I

wanted to join the cool kid’s club. Phi Alpha Theta has some impressive

people in it. I also wanted to be with other people who are as interested in

studying history as I am.” She also joked that it looks good on a resume.

Her next step in life will be to go on to graduate school and follow her

interest in literary theory; she hopes to stay here at the University of Idaho.

She explained, “It’s because I enjoy the development and definitions of the

lenses through which we see literature and history, how they evolve and

cope with the advances of modernity.”

Ideally, Rachel wants to become a college professor. She hopes to be one of

those professors who inspires amongst her students a passion for the social

sciences and humanities and who conveys their importance: not just as

school subjects, but as lifelong tools.Whether it is here at the University of

Idaho or elsewhere, she hopes to find a program where teaching is

integrated into the program, and where, from day one, she must stand on

her own two feet.

Currently, Rachel finds herselfy fascinated by the Middle Ages and the

Reformation. She has already taken over six classes in this area of history

and she plans to take Professor Kittell’s class on the Reformation in spring

2015. Rachel explains her interests, “With the Middle Ages, it feels so simple

with the glazed over approach that textbooks give it, but when you really

get into it there is so much going on, it’s pretty unbelievable.” As for the

Reformation, she elaborates, “The Reformation is one of the defining

moments in human history. It is this division where Europe stops being a

collective; it is a division of humanity, faith, and so much more. For me, it

feels like everything comes out of it.”

In addition to her involvement with Phi Alpha Theta, Rachael volunteers as

a radio DJ for the University of Idaho’s radio station. This semester marks

her third year on the air. Her show is a two and a half hour oldies program

called “The Time Machine.” “I try and make old music accessible for a

younger audience,” she explains. She encourages listeners to call in with

requests, “because there’s nothing cooler than having your song played on

the radio.”

Tune into “Rockin’ Rachael and the Time Machine” on Sunday mornings

from 9:30 am to 12:00 pm, on the University of Idaho radio station 89.3 FM.

Gustave Lester Gustave Lester is from Caldwell, Idaho. After completing his first two years

of his undergraduate degree at North Idaho College, he transferred to the

University of Idaho last fall and is now a senior.

In spring 2014, Gustave was awarded the Best Undergraduate Paper prize at

the regional Phi Alpha Theta conference in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. His paper,

“The Spokane Flood Controversy: Appropriate Responses to Challenging

Ideas” examines the controversy in the geological community concerning

the origins of the landscape of eastern Washington. He says, “The

controversy started in the 20s and wasn't resolved until the 60s. I explored

the issues surrounding J Harlen Bretz’s Spokane Flood Hypothesis. It wasn’t

accepted at the time he proposed it, and I explored whether that rejection

was justified, even though it was proven right later.” Gustave cites his

interest in the Spokane flood controversy as being part of his interest in the

history of science. Excitedly, he explains, “The paper was a really nice case

study in shifting scientific paradigms.”

Gustave enjoyed the Phi Alpha Theta conference last spring. He found it

formative to connect with friends and colleagues and to share research in a

friendly but rigorous environment. In 2015, he hopes to attend the next

regional Phi Alpha Theta Conference as well as the National Conference on

Undergraduate Research at Eastern Washington University.

Gustave says that he envisions graduate school in his future. He wants to

pursue his interests in the history of life sciences and philosophy, and he has

a long list of potential graduate schools. He hopes to end up in California,

the Midwest somewhere, or perhaps Canada.

In addition to history, Gustave also has many other academic interests. His

love of philosophy led him to study history at the University of Idaho. He is

interested in the epistemological and methodological questions related to

science and how these questions have evolved over time.

Though Gustave spends much of his time studying, he still tries to have fun.

In addition to good company, good conversation, and chess, he also enjoys

backpacking. This past summer he hiked Yellowstone National Park;

summited Mount Reagan in the Sawtooths; walked the Lost Coast trail of

Northern California; and explored Portland and the Oregon coast. When

asked why nature appeals to him, he answered, “The outdoors, the

adventure, the solitude – it's a really great way to get to know myself. It

gives me a chance to see who I really am in the face of any situation.”

~ Ben Bridges

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H I S T O R Y R E M E M B E R E D

Remembering the Great War

James McNaughton shares his archaeological experiences

This year – 2014 – marks the centennial of the First World War. These events

forever transformed the world and its effects remain with us today.

Historians continue to research the Great War, sometimes combining

historical detective work with international organizations. In one particular

case, the British government uses historians to learn about the past as well

as to clear away dangerous wartime materials so they can keep civilians

safe.

James McNaughton, a doctoral student in the Department’s historical

archaeology program, has been serving for the past seven years with “No

Man’s Land,” a volunteer organization sponsored by the British Ministry of

Defence. The organization seeks to document World War I trenches and

related structures for historical research. They also work to locate and

dispose of undetonated explosive material left over from the war. Over the

years, McNaughton has often worked on the old Western Front near the

town of Messines and the site of the Battle of Passchendaele in Belgium.

The Battle of Passchendaele began on June 7, 1917 at 4:30 am, when British

forces detonated a series of landmines; McNaughton described the

detonation as being roughly the equivalent of 1 million pounds of plastic

explosives. Contemporaries reported that the sound wave from the blast

could be heard in London – over 240 miles away. Over 15,000 German

soldiers were vaporized. Today, all that archaeologists find of their remains

are bone fragments. The detonation enabled the British to advance, and their

ranks included soldiers from the Third Australian Infantry Division. They

occupied the area for the rest of the war. However, the Battle of

Passchendaele was less about stragegy than preserving Allied morale.

At the end of World War I, much of Europe was littered with war debris:

barbed wire, communication wire, undetonated bombs, mortar shells,

grenades, and gas shells. Often civilians simply gathered it all together and

buried it in shell craters and other holes. Today, the Ministry of Defence

wants to locate and dispose all this dangerous material. There are good

reasons for this concern. According to McNaughton, between 1947 and

2007, an average of thirteen Belgian and French farmers were killed every

year when their equipment hit unexploded ordinances. Along with

recording trenches and bunkers, the volunteers with “No Man’s Land” find

these deadly explosives before people are killed or injured. This work

carries considerable danger for the historical archaeologists involved, some

of whom come within a shovel’s length of striking a century-old grenade or

a mustard gas shell. Explosives experts are always on hand. In this case, as

McNaughton puts it, history is definitely not boring.

When “No Man’s Land” comes across human remains, they do their best to

identify them and notify any living relatives. One story gives an incredible

example of how researchers used all historical and scientific means to

connect the past with the present. In 2008, researchers found a body,

identifiable as an Australian by his medals, in a shell hole at Passchendaele

battlefield site. The body was sent to the lab at the University of Ghent.

Historians looked through Australian military records to find men who

went missing in action as well as their biometric information. As a result,

they narrowed the possibilities down to five men. From there, they

requested DNA samples from the families, all of whom willingly

participated.

With the DNA results, the researchers identified the soldier as Australian

infantryman Private Alan James Mather. Originally born in Britain,

Matherhad immigrated to Australia in

the 1890s, where he became a successful

vineyard owner. During that time, he

also served as an officer in the militia

cavalry. When World War I broke out,

he enlisted as a private in the army and

served on the Western front.

In 2010, Mather was laid to rest in a

battlefield cemetery alongside his

fellow soldiers in a full state and

military funeral. Among those in attendance were the Australian

ambassador to Belgium, the commander of the Australian armed forces and

seven members from Mather’s family. The archaeologists had solved a

century-old family mystery and reconstructed an individual’s life story – cut

short by the tragedy of war.

The Battle of Passchendaele did not have a major impact in the war.

McNaughton says that the British attempted new techniques without

knowing how to consolidate their gains while the Germans were

unprepared for the advance. The result was a morale victory for the British

more than a strategic one at the cost of thousands of lives.

~ Shannon Kelly

Phi Alpha Theta News On October 22, 2014, members of the Pi-Theta chapter of Phi Alpha Theta

History Honors Society gathered at Mikey’s Greek Gyros in downtown

Moscow to initiate eight new members. The turnout was impressive, with

over twenty members and faculty attending. Participants enjoyed spending

time reconnecting with other members of the History Department in a

setting filled with good

food and conversation.

Professors Ellen Kittell,

Ian Chambers, and

Herman Ronnenberg were

among those in

attendance.

This year’s guest speaker

was University of Idaho

French professor Sarah

Nelson. She gave an

entertaining and informative

presentation on Senegal.

Using photos and anecdotes

from her experiences in the former French colony, Nelson discussed social

andpolitical change in the country. She discussed the African tradition of

oral history through griots, selected members of the community charged

with preserving the traditional local heritage.

The Pi-Theta chapter welcomed the following new members: Ryan Bovard,

Tyler Brock, James MacNaughton, Jose Rojas, Cody Slonim, Camilla Van

Natter, Robert “Johnny” Wetherell, andEvan “Gunn” Wilson. Phi Alpha

Theta would like to extend heartfelt thanks to everyone who helped with

this wonderful initiation dinner: the members, the new initiates, our

executive board, Mikey’s Greek Gyros, Professor Nelson, Professor Kittell,

and Alisa Goolsby. ~Shannon Kelly

Congratualtions to the Phi Alpha Theta Fall

2014 initiates: L to R, James Macnaughton,

Gunn Wilson, Camilla Van Natter, Cody Slonim

and Ryan Bovard.

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U N D E R G R A D U A T E S P O T L I G H T G R A D U A T E S T U D E N T S P O T L I G H T

Jefferson Kleopfer

Jefferson, originally from Lewiston,

Idaho, completed his BA in history at

the University of Idaho in 2014. He is

staying on to pursue an MA under

Dr. Richard Spence. His research

interests are Eastern European

history, Russian history, and the

history of ethnic minorities. For his

master’s thesis, Jefferson hopes to

study how a monarch is affected

byinheriting the throne at a young

age, with a focus on Emperor Franz

Josef and his contemporary Queen

Victoria.

Jeff Meyers

Jeff completed his undergraduate degree

in 2004 at California Lutheran

University. After receiving his BA, he

took a year off of school to travel in

Germany and work at a resort in Aspen,

Colorado. Afterwards, he came to the

University of Idaho for graduate school.

Jeff finished his MA in 2006, and will

complete his PhD this year. Over the

past several years, he has taught

extensively in the Department of History

— a formal experience extended onto many of our Department’s

doctoral students. Some of his courses have included our usual

freshman-level courses such as “History of Civilization” and

“Introduction to American History.” This fall semester, he’s been able to

offer an integrated freshman seminar on the history of crime and

terrorism. His dissertation deals with the development of Chechnen

terrorist organizations in the Caucasus. This past February, Jeff

complemented his doctoral studies by spending two weeks in Russia,

where he visited Moscow and St. Petersburg and even attended events

at the Sochi Winter Olympics!

Molly Swords

Molly is pursuing a PhD in historical archaeology. She holds an MA from

the University of Montana in Anthropology, with a focus in historical

archaeology and forensic anthropology. Recently Molly was a project

manager at the Sandpoint

Archaeological Project, which was a

major preservation project funded by the

Idaho Department of Transportation.

Here, she helped excavate the original

town site of Sandpoint, Idaho. She has

taught courses on cultural resource

management at the University of Idaho.

Molly focuses her research on the

archaeologies of communities, industrial

expansion, and leisure. She plans to

write her dissertation on the alcohol

culture and hotel life in the early American West.

Amy Thompson

Amy comes from the Willamette Valley,

but currently calls Palouse, WA, home.

She is pursuing an MA in history. She

studied architecture at the University of

Idaho, receiving her B.S. and M.Arch in

2004. After graduation, she joined the

staff at the UI library, where she works

in Special Collections and Archives. Her

research focuses on the American West, particularly fruit growers

associations such as the Lewiston Orchards Irrigation District.

~Amy Pendegraft

Please join us for the 3rd Annual

Bella Notte

an Italian dinner with live music

Presented by Phi Alpha Theta

in support of history student scholarships

Saturday, April 18, 2015

5:00-8:30 p.m.

St. Augustine’s Catholic Center 628 S. Deakin Street

Student’s w/ID: $5.00 Non-Student: $6.00 Family of four: $18.00

7

F A C U L T Y P U B L I C A T I O N

A New Perspective on the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade

Professor Dale Graden reflects on his recent publication

This past spring, Professor Dale Graden released his second book, Disease,

Resistance, and Lies: The Demise of the Transatlantic Slave Trade to Brazil and

Cuba (University of Louisiana Press, 2014). In this work, Professor Graden

examines the relationships and elements that led to the end of the slave

trade in Brazil and Cuba.

Graden frames these relationships in what he calls “the three triangular

trades,” all which involved the exchange of goods, crops, capital and slaves.

Graden begins with the triangular trade connecting North America, Europe,

and Africa. He then identifies two additional“triangular systems”: a middle

triangle between Cuba, Brazil and Africa; and a southern triangle between

Cuba, Brazil, and Africa Disease, Resistance, and Lies studies the roles of the

United States and Britain in the middle and southern triangles. Citizens of

the United States provided ships for this trade and partook in it, despite its

illegality. Additionally, Graden explores the elements that led to the end of

the slave trade, including slave resistance and rebellions, epidemics in Cuba

and Brazil, and legal changes.

Graden cites his adolescence in segregated Rhode Island as the beginning of

his interest in history. In his attempt to understand segregation, he traced its

history back to the American Civil War. In college, Graden traveled to

Mexico and Bermuda, where he realized that there was more to the history

of African-Americans than what he had learned. After graduation, he

realized that several Caribbean Islands, such as Jamaica, Haiti, and

Barbados, played equally important roles in the history of Africans in the

Americas. Indeed, as Graden points out, the United States received only a

tiny portion – 4 percent — of the total African slaves transported to the

Americas during the four centuries of the transatlantic slave trade. Finally,

his interests led him to Brazil, which he calls “the biggest center of the slave

trade.” Graden explains his own journey as “That of a naïve young man

trying to put together the history of the African Americas.”

In 1985, Graden won a Fulbright Scholarship to study the Brazilian Negro

Front, an organized black movement in São Paulo during the 1920s. At the

time, a lack of documents and materials made it difficult to achieve his

study’s goals. Shifting his focus to the history of abolition, he found a gap in

the historiography of abolition in Northeast Brazil. This research led him to

his first book, entitled From Slavery to Freedom in Brazil: Bahia, 1835-1900

(2006). With Disease, Resistance, and Lies, he took the research further by

using a mass of British sources, many of which had never been used for

research on abolition. As one of the book’s highlights, Graden uncovers the

high degree of physical and mental abuse that Africans suffered throughout

their enslavement. Graden uses another primary source to show that Cuban

authorities deliberately concealed horrid details of abuse and torture from

the public.

Both of Graden’s books first began as well-received published articles that

inspired him to take his research further. He described his research process

by evoling the Portuguese word “aprofundar,” which means to go deeper

into a particular topic or historical juncture. In the case of Disease, Resistance,

and Lies he explored the historiographical trends of the subject and looked

for gaps. Graden advises, “You have to keep reading. There is such an

immense amount out there. Not only books, but journals, the web, it’s

limitless. Have a good time doing it too. Treat yourself to a rich and

fulfilling intellectual history.”

As an important part of his research

approach, Graden has long interacted

with other experts in his field — both in

the United States and abroad. Since the

1980s, when he first began researching

his doctoral dissertation, he has

established close relationships with

colleagues around the world — he

maintains them to this day.

When Graden summarizes his new

book, he says: “There are some major

problems in understanding our

American past, meaning there are real

problems in the way which history is viewed and analyzed. This book

examines a fascinating period of history (the 19th century Atlantic world) in

which several key events set the stage for the abolition of the slave trade and

then final abolition in Brazil in 1888.”

Indeed, Disease, Resistance, and Liesuncovers several hidden histories.

Graden says that his work is only one piece of the puzzle, but it helps us

understand modern-day race relations and politics.

Readers will be pleased to learn that Graden is currently working on a third

book. It will expand on the life of an African from Sierra Leone, known as

John Freeman by the British and Manoel by his slave owner in Salvador,

Bahia, Brazil. Manoel’s remarkable journey is touched on in Disease,

Resistance, and Lies.

I recommend reading Disease, Resistance, and Lies: The Demise of the

Transatlantic Slave Trade to Brazil and Cuba. It is thrilling, easily accessible,

and always enlightening. It is available online and through the University of

Idaho library. ~Ben Bridges

8

F A C U L T Y N E W S

Faculty Member Awarded the Esto Perpetua

Article by Melissa Courtnage

Esteemed alumnus and adjunct professor,

Herman Wiley Ronnenberg received the Esto

Perpetua from the Idaho State Historical

Society (ISHS), for his outstanding

contribution for the preservation of Idaho’s

heritage this past June in Boise. The Esto

Perpetua is Idaho’s highest award given to an

individual or group for the promotion and

preservation of Idaho’s cultural heritage.

With over forty years’ of teaching experience

from elementary school to university level,

sixty articles, and eight books, Herman

Ronneberg is most deserving of such an

honor. Ronnenberg was awarded“for his

passion for preserving the history of Idaho brewing.”

Herman Wiley Ronnenberg was born and raised in Evansville, Illinois. He

attended Sparta High School in Illinois, before graduating from Beaumont

High School in Beaumont, California in 1964. In 1968, ee received his

undergraduate degree in history and physical education. Afterwards, he

earned his MA degree in library science and an M.S.E from the University of

Central Missouriin Warrensburg. He was beguiled by the history of

Prohibition in the US, and he even wroter his thesis on the subject. As sees

it, the end of Prohibition “would have been a great time to live.” Later, he

sought a doctoral program in archaeology, but he ultimately abandoned it

for a history program in a small town atmosphere. He recalls, “Iwanted to

raise my son, who was in fifth grade at the time, in a small town.” This led

him to the University of Idaho where he earned his degree in historical

archaeology under William Greever, Carlos Schwantes, and Bill Barnes.

After graduating, he spent the next twenty years teaching in Pomeroy,

Idaho. In addition to his teaching responsibilities, he also coached many

extracurricular activities, especially boys’ and girls’ basketball. However, he

also subbed as a coach for cross-country, track and field, football and

baseball — any position, in short,a small school district needed!

In 1985, Ronnenberg and his wife, Diane, bought the North Idaho Cowboy

Bar in Troy, which they reopened as a restaurant. The restaurant served

French and Italian cuisine. Ronnenberg recalls that “Every morning we

would make fresh noodles from scratch.” He describes how they prepared

the noodles for each day; they would hand-roll the noodles before throwing

them into boiling water for a minute after blanching them in an ice bath and

then store them in a bag with oil until that evening, when the noodles

would be added to freshly prepared sauces. “No one makes noodles that

way,” he beams with pride.They later began “ethnic food” weeks where

they served cuisine from around the world everything, from Chinese to

Cajun. In 1988, they sold the restaurant to pursue other interests.

Ronnenberg has a true passion for beer and the history of brewing,

particularly in Idaho. Affectionately known as “Dr. Beer,” he wrote a book

entitled History of the Brewing Industry in Idaho, 1862-1960 (1993), which was

a revised version of his doctoral dissertation. Ronnenberg acknowledges

that be became interested in beer brewing in Idaho came after he discovered

that Moscow once had its own brewery. On further research, he found that

Idaho had over thirty-three breweries scattered throughout mining and

logging camps in the late 1880s. There were so many because, believe or not

beer can be fragile —and so people cannot transport it over long distances. It

is for this reason that Idaho boasted so many local breweries. However,

following the Bull Volstead Act, enacted to carry out the eighteenth

Amendment, Idaho’s breweries went into decline. Over time, Ronenberg

interested himself more and more in story of Idaho breweries and their

manufacturing techniques. He discovered a myriad of fascinating events

around the brewers and breweries as well as state and county legislation.

For example, Idaho was a patchwork of dry and wet counties depending on

local county laws. In these times, train travel could prove annoying to any

drinker: a passenger could be served alcohol in one county but have it taken

away in the next.

Prohibition caused breweries to close and employees to lose their jobs. To

prevent increased unemployment or bankruptcy across the country,

brewers often reopened their doors to other manufacturing, such as ice

cream, cured ham, “near-beer,“ and bottled drinking water. Idaho was no

exception. After the repeal of Prohibition, with better transportation

methods and new technological techniques in brewing, larger companies

were able to transport their goods into new markets that had previously

been reserved for local breweries. By the 1970s Idaho breweries could not

recover.

In his research, Ronnenberg has continued to branch out with his later

publications, which focus on individual Idahoans such as John Lemp,

Janette Manuel, and Isabella Kelly Benedict Robie. While researching John

Lemp, who he nicknamed “the Beer Baron of Boise,” he uncovered over

1,200 newspaper clippings on Lempranging from mining to banking to his

eventual appointment as major: “He was in the newspaper almost every

day.” Ronnenberg’s research led to his 2008 publication ofThe Beer Baron of

Boise: The Life of John Lemp, Millionaire Brewer of the Frontier Idaho. All the

while, he continued to investigate Idaho brewers in The Disciples of King

Gambrinus Volume 1: 25 Unfortunate Lives (2011) and his most recent

publication The Disciples of King Gambrinus Volume II: Capitalists and Town

Fathers (2013). While examining brewerJohn J. (Jack) Manuel, he became

fascinated by Manuel’s wife Janette and her close friend Isabella Kelly

Benedict Robie, both of whom have led adventurous lives. For more

additional information please see Ronnenberg’s Janet Manuel: The Life and Legend

of the Belle of Fabulous Florence (2009) and Pioneer Mother on the River of No

Return: The Life of Isabella Kelly Benedict Robie (2012).

Herman Ronnenberg, a father of two and grandfather of four, currently

resides in Troy.He is the owner of the publishing company Heritage Witness

Reflection Publishing and is in the process of editing his ninth book.

Ronnenberg lectures at the University of Idaho for History 101: World

Civilization I, History 102: World Civilizations II, and this semester History

112: Introduction to U.S. History. Students across the university love his

classes.

When asked what advice he would give history students today, he said: “be

patient.”

Below is an excerpt from Pioneer Mother on the River of No Return: The Life of

Isabella Kelly Benedict Robie (2012) p. 1-5, by Herman Wiley Ronnenberg.

9

I D A H O H I S T O R Y

A Snapshot in Idaho History

An excerpt from Pioneer Mother on the River of No Return

The Rescue

June-December 1877

Holding her three year-old daughter, Addie, in her arms and clinging to the

hand of eight-year-old Frances, Isabella said goodbye to her old friend

Jeanette Manuel, and began the steep 12-mile climb out of White Bird

Canyon to Mount Idaho. Her husband was dead. Her friends were

comforting but of little assistance, and her children were already getting sick

from hunger, exertion and fear. Menacing hostiles—perhaps the same men

who killed her husband—were potentially everywhere and the road was not

safe. With only motherly instincts and Irish determination to strengthen her,

Isabella summoned her courage and plowed ahead.

Isabella’s son, Grant, and daughter, Mary Caroline, were already at Mount

Idaho where they had been boarding so they could study during the school

term. The body of precocious little Nettie, her fifth child, had been safe

under the sod of Idaho for nearly four years. All of Isabella’s attention was

on the two girls that clung to her.

Isabella later recalled conditions at the Manuel ranch that she was then

leaving: “The Indians had eaten every morsel in the house before they left

and I could not even get a crust at Mrs. Manuel’s.”And the arduous hike

would be without nourishment.

On that Friday night, as Francis remembered it, the family continued on

their way toward Mount Idaho staying close to the road while fearing to

venture completely on to it and become visible at any distance. Soon after

starting their journey, of horseman came by on the run and shots rang out.

The rider was settler William George, and he made good his escape.

A report written years later recalled that: “While on this terrible journey she

discovered a white man, mounted upon a switch strong horse flying for his

life. She hailed him and begged him to help her. Oh, shame! He refused.

This is a solitary act recorded of an Idahoan and in those trying times of war

for which all brave men blush. The mother begged him to take her youngest

babe and save it. He refused. This man still lives and his home is on Camas

Prairie. This unchivalrous man reported in Mount Idaho that Mrs. Benedict

was probably killed by Indians; and if not, she was a wanderer on the

mountain.”This may or may not be a memory of this particular encounter.

Such a happening had to further try Isabella’s resolve and increase her fear.

Fear, desperation, and hunger were the unseen baggage Isabella lugged

alongside her children on this journey.

Francis recalled: “knowing there were Indians in the vicinity we were loath

to venture forth, but mother, brave little soul, knew she had to battle along

and, undaunted, pushed on, avoiding the road as much as possible.”After

an exhausting all–night ordeal, Isabella reached the top of the canyon near

the old White Bird Hill Grade where the little family hid in the brush.

“When near the top of the mountain mother told me to sit down and hold

the baby, and not move from there, while she climbed to the top to locate

the road and reconnoiter before going on. Coming back she called softly,

fearing she might miss us in the dark.”

“After a short rest she retraced her steps up the mountain, carrying the

baby. With my hand in hers we went over the top and gained the shelter of

the brush beside the road. This was the old grade on the White Bird Hill.”

They stayed the rest of Friday night there and moved to deeper brush when

the sun came up. Francis carried water to them from a creek using the

baby’s shoe for container. “All day Saturday we remained hidden in the

brush while the whole tribe of Indians was passing by. They were hurrying

their families from their camping ground at the lake, now Tolo Lake, to the

Salmon River, aiming to cross before the soldiers came up with them.”

Saturday, a day of hunger and fear, passed. Dusk at last came on that long

June day.

At the Top of the White Bird Grade Isabella squeezed Frances’ hand even

tighter while pushing her other little babe, Addie, lower in the weeds as the

sounds of the horses grew even closer. It was well after midnight and the

beginning of June 17. She concealed her little family from the sight of

mounted men several times in the past three days, and knew how to do this

well. She heard a muffled bit of speech. It was English, not Nez Perce. She

allowed her hopes to lift a bit. Then she heard more horses, and more men

despite their attempts to be perfectly quiet. The newly widowed mother of

four living children raised her head a bit and peered into the dark of the

pre–dawn countryside. It was the cavalry from Fort Lapwai. She nearly

collapsed with relief. She picked up Addie and pulled eight – year – old

Frances along as they left the brushy hill–side and walked towards men and

horses.

The troopers were as surprised to see Isabella as she was to see them. At last

she and the children had some food – army hardtack. Soon, Mrs. Isabella

Benedict was talking to Captain Perry, the commanding officer. Her pent-up

emotions all gushed forth at once. She was almost too upset to make a

coherent story but managed to get out the overall picture. She told him of

the attack on the Benedict store, and their home, the shooting of her

husband, the attack on the Manuel family, and her attempt to take her

children to safety at Mount Idaho. Perry told her to spend the rest of the

night there and see what the dawn would bring. He ordered one man to

give her a blanket and trumpeter Jones gave her his lunch. Knowing a battle

was very possible, Perry could spare no men or horses to help her on to

Mount Idaho. He offered instead, to send her toward the town with some

friendly Nez Perce. Isabella declined.

The troopers were in their second night without sleep. They were ordered to

make no fires—not even smoking—and to stay awake. One man forgot

himself and struck a match to light his pipe. A coyote howl went up

immediately and the officers believed their presence had been detected by

the Nez Perce Sentries. Most likely, the iron–sod horses had alerted any

sentry in the area long before the match was struck. Such a large group had

no hope of remaining undetected.

Isabella lay down with her two babes and covered them with the army–

issued wool blanket. Physical exhaustion, grief and relief vied for control of

her mind. Her children snuggled in close and she slipped into a fitful sleep.

Dawn comes early to northern Idaho in June.

Sunday, 17 June 1877

At daybreak, Sunday, June 17, Isabella awoke to the sound of the troopers.

Sergeant John P. Schorr wrote to historian McWhorter years later that the

Benedicts were found in rags and starving.She begged the soldiers not to go

further or they would all be massacred. They should have listened.

Ronnenberg, Herman Wiley. Pioneer Mother on the River of No Return: The Life of Isabella Kelly Benedict

Robie. Troy, ID: Heritage Witness Reflections Publishing, 2012.

10

R E M E B R A N C E

Remembrance of William and Janet Greever

The History Department wishes to acknowledge the loss of Dr. Janet Greever (September 12, 1921–August 5, 2014). Dr.

Greever was the wife of Dr. William S. Greever (July 22, 1916 - January 14, 2007), former professor and chair of the History

Department at the University of Idaho. The Greevers are memorialized by the Greever Scholarship, a $1,000-$1,500 award

made yearly to a University of Idaho history student on the basis of academic merit.

Dr. William Greever completed his bachelor’s degree in history at Pomona University in 1938 and his master’s degree in

history at Harvard University in 1940. He served in the United States Army from 1942-46, rising to the rank of Technical

Sergeant and performing administrative duties in the US, the Philippines, and Japan. Following World War II, he returned to

Harvard, completing his PhDin American history in 1949. His dissertation on “The Santa Fe Railway and its Western Land

Grant” was later expanded into his first book, published in 1954.

At Harvard, Dr. Greever met his future wife, Janet Groff, who was herself pursuing a PhD in history at Radcliffe. They were

married on August 24, 1951. Janet Greever had previously received her undergraduate and master’s degrees in history in 1942 and 1945, both from Bryn Mawr

College. Between obtaining her first two degrees, she worked on the Japanese naval cipher for Naval Communications in Washington D.C. She completed her

PhD thesis in 1954on “José Ballivián and the Bolivian Oriente: a Study of Aspirations in the 1840s.”

After a short teaching appointment to Northwestern University, William Greever joined the faculty of the University of Idaho in

1949. He specialized in westward movement and social and cultural history of the United States. He served as chairman of History

from 1956 until his retirement in 1982. Greever was highly respected by his colleagues throughout his tenure as a teacher and an

administrator. Janet Greever was also served at various times as a temporary instructor of Latin American history at the University

of Idaho and Washington State University. Both of the Greevers were members of Phi Alpha Theta.

A highlight of William Greever’s career came in 1958–59, when he received a Guggenheim Fellowship that enabled him to spend a

sabbatical doing research on mining rushes at the Bancroft Library in Berkeley, California. The resulting book, The Bonanza West:

The Story of the Western Mining Rushes 1848-1900, won a Spur Award for nonfiction from Western Writers of America in 1963.

Despite his success as a writer, Dr. Greever considered teaching his most important activity. After his sabbatical he wrote, “The

opportunity to do full-time research was stimulating…valuable as the experience was, I would not want to be for too long away

from the classroom.” ~Amy Pendegraft

In Memoriam Robert Brower

The Department of History is sad to report that Robert Claude Brower, former Magistrate of the Seventh District Court of Idaho, died from cancer in the

University of Utah Medical Center on October 12, 2014. He was sixty-nine years old.

Judge Brower received his undergraduate degree in history at Idaho State University. Later he earned his law degree from the

University of Idaho, passing the state bar exam in 1974.

Many of our alumni will have fond memories of Brower’s indefatigable sister: Nancy Dafoe. Mrs. Dafoe worked as the administrative

assistant for the Department of History at the University of Idaho for twenty-nine years, before she retired in 2010.

The entire Brower family has deeply appreciated the pursuit of historical studies. Two of Brower’s sons majored in history at the

University of Idaho and then pursued doctoral studies at prestigious institutions such as Cornell University and University of Rutgers

in New Jersey. The eldest, Dr. Ben Brower, is currently a professor at the University of Texas at Austin, while the younger,

BradyBrower, is now a fellow at the Institute of Advanced Study at Princeton University.

At present, a number of family members, colleagues, and friends are organizing a new history scholarship fund in memory of Justice

Robert Claude Brower. They hope to raise an initial $25,000 to establish anannual award for undergraduate majors who have an interest to study the field of law.

The History Department and The Primary Source Editorial Board extend our sincerest condolences to the entire Brower family.If you wish to read more about

Judge Brower’s life and accomplishments, please see http://www.am-news.com/content/robert-claude-brower-69. ~Gustave Lester

11

R E C O G N I T I O N

In Appreciation and Recognition. . .We thank the following people and corporations who have shown support to the department through donations, which help sustain scholarships for our undergraduate and graduate students:

Katherine G. Aiken and Joseph M.

Schwartz

David J. Anderson

James W. and Mary Ann Asaph

Harry E. Bilger

Robert Christopher Bowe

Adam M. and Julia B. Browning

William D. Butler

Ronald G. Colstad

Jeff Scott and Lisa Ann Davis

Stephanie Suzett Duran-Quintana &

Jeff Krigel

Stanley Frank Guenthner and Pauline

Veiga-Guenthner

Michael K. and Ivy L. Green

John D. and Jodi M. Haire

Jeffrey Emerson and Linda Anne

Harkness

Lindsey Harris Hughes

David Gordon and Debra E. Kaspar

Jeff Krigel Law Firm, PLLC

Timothy Gregory and Charlene

Rachel Johnson

Eddie Sue Judy

Lori Ann Lahlum

Loyce H. Lewis

Joni T. Libertin

Ronald H. Limbaugh

Charles W. and Elizabeth J. Lorenz

Nancy J. Lunden

Robert Henry McQuade, Jr.

Gordon L. and Alice M. Merritt

Thomas Anthony Mihelich

David Lawrence and Christy J.

Nicandri

Karen M. Offen

Kari Lynn Overall

Bryan Paul and Marina Victorovna

Pereira

Robert A. and Susan E. Perrin

Ronald T. and Kathye H. Polillo†

Carol Lynn Ripley

Wade Rumney

Joseph Michael Sanders and Abby

Boyer

Mara Holt Skov and Steven Skov Holt

Carolle A. Skov

Susquehanna International Group,

LLP

Kermit L. and June A. Staggers

Joshua Allen Tomlin and Erin Emily

Hodgin-Tomlin

Lindarae Persis Watts

Michael David Weaver

† Deceased

Give a Gift

https://www.sites.uidaho.edu/giving/GivingForm.aspx

Undergraduates

Brittany Pica

Bryan Reigel*

Graduates

Melissa Courtnage* Masters

Justin Smith* Masters

*Phi Alpha Theta Member

EDITORIAL BOARD

Melissa Courtnage Graduate History

Ben Bridges Undergraduate History

Shannon Kelly Undergraduate History

Gustave Lester Undergraduate History

Amy Pendegraft Undergraduate History

The Editorial Board would like to thank Kristian Strubb and Debbie Husa for their help and advice on the formatting and editing of The Primary Source.

2014 Fall Graduates