Where did Memorial Day start? What does it mean? If pressed, most of us could probably guess that it emerged from the wake of the Civil War and perhaps explain that it differs from, say, Veterans Day or Armed Forces Day in specifically remembering those who have died in military service to this country. Writing in the midst of the Vietnam War, … More Revising Memorial Day
For the first time in nearly three years, the Washington Monument will be open to visitors today. So this seems like a good time to revisit my February 2012 post on the history of that monument, and of presidential memorials in general. Commemoration has been much on my mind since my trip to the battlefields and … More Best of The Pietist Schoolman: Presidential Memorials
4/18/14 – Just a quick reminder for those of you who might happen to live in or near southern Minnesota… I’ll be speaking at the University of Minnesota, Rochester next Tuesday night, April 22, 7pm, as part of the UMR Connects series. My talk is entitled “‘Lest We Forget’: The Commemoration of World War I from Minnesota … More Reminder: My Talk on WWI Remembrance Is April 22
I’m happy to announce that I’ll be speaking at the University of Minnesota’s Rochester campus on Tuesday night, April 22nd as part of the UMR Connects lecture series, free and open to the public. That month the series will focus on “Wars and Conflicts,” so I was invited to give a talk on World War I (this … More Hear Me Speak on WWI Commemoration
A few days into this centenary year of its beginning, the First World War is already prompting controversy: Yesterday New York Times Europe correspondent Alan Cowell checked in with an update on what remains an open question among historians: Was the outbreak of war primarily due to the reckless, cynical ambitions of German military and … More WWI at 100: Commemoration and “Political Correctness”
In two and a half years of blogging, I’ve written a fair amount about the commemoration of war. If those forty posts haven’t been the kind you normally read, consider taking a few minutes this Remembrance/Veterans Day to explore that theme. First, an array of some of the images of cemeteries, memorials, monuments, and other … More “Lest We Forget”
Here… • What kind of financial support do evangelical colleges and universities receive from their sponsoring denominations? • Short answer: Data are sketchy, but… not as much as they used to. Case in point, Bethel University. • Are these good measures for ranking colleges: The mid-career salaries of alumni? How meaningful they find their work? … More That Was The Week That Was
Change the first word to “Twelve” and this post from 9/11/2012 still seems to fit today, 9/11/2013. Eleven years ago this morning I was in Hamden, Connecticut, waking up after a late night of dissertation writing to turn on CNN in time to watch the collapse of the World Trade Center’s twin towers. Those structures … More Best of The Pietist Schoolman: This Day in History: 9/11
9/3/13 – A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that I enjoy musical side projects… If you’re interested in my posts on the commemoration of the two world wars, then check out my new side project: a photoblog called Memento belli. I’ll update it periodically with images and minimal text about various modern war and … More My New Photoblog on War Commemoration
While taking notes earlier this month at the Soldiers Field Veterans Memorial in Rochester, MN, I couldn’t help but overhear the following from another (rather loud) visitor: Kids should come here and read all this stuff because they don’t teach [it] in school. Yes, and no. (Well, more like: yes, and NO!) Yes: there is … More Commemorating WWII: The Memorial as a Work of Public History
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