Lycoming College News

English professor to participate in Yale seminar

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 00:00:00 EST

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Dr. Andrew Leiter, a Lycoming College assistant professor of English, has been selected as one of 25 scholars to participate in The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History’s seminar, “Slave Narratives,” at Yale University June 12-15.

“This is a very prestigious conference,” said Dr. Thomas Griffiths, provost and dean of the College. “Competition for one of the 25 slots was pretty intense, and it’s wonderful that Dr. Leiter will be representing Lycoming this year.”

Leiter is a 20th century American literature specialist with particular interest in the textual intersections of racial representations by white and African-American authors.

The Gilder Lehrman Institute is a nonprofit organization supporting the study and love of American history. The seminar, part of an annual series held for professors of American history at small colleges, is co-sponsored by The Council of Independent Colleges and the United Negro College Fund.

Lycoming College is a national liberal arts and sciences school dedicated to the undergraduate education of 1,400 students. It is recognized as a Tier 1 institution by U.S. News and World Report. Founded in 1812 in Williamsport, Pa., Lycoming is one of the 50 oldest colleges in the nation.

History Department to hold annual Ewing Lecture

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa.—The Lycoming College History Department will host a lecture by Dr. David Witwer, associate professor of history and humanities at Penn State University, Harrisburg, as part of its annual Ewing Lecture Series. “The Acid Attack on Victor Riesel and the Racketeer Menace in Cold War America” will take place on Wednesday, March 23, at 7 p.m. in Heim Building G-11. The event is free and open to the public.

In 1956, Riesel, a syndicated labor columnist in New York City, was assaulted after finishing a radio broadcast during which he castigated the leadership of a local union. Riesel was also working hand-in-hand with federal prosecutors in a legal assault on New York’s garment, trucking and other racketeering operations.

The person identified as the acid-thrower was found murdered and the prominent labor racketeer who allegedly ordered the attack was never convicted. Spurred by the assault, the U.S. Senate convened an investigation that found corruption in organized labor to be widespread and delegitimized union power when it was at its peak.

Utilizing records he obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, Witwer discovered evidence indicating the FBI and Justice Department “knew the truth” about the attack but did not make it public, instead allowing union opponents to the opportunity to undermine organized labor.

Witwer, whose research focuses on the impact of union corruption scandals on modern American politics, is the author of “Shadow of the Racketeer: Scandal in Organized Labor” and “Corruption and Reform in the Teamsters Union,” which was selected as a Choice Outstanding Academic Title and the winner of the Richard L. Wentworth Award. He also serves on the editorial board of the journal “Labor History” and has published extensively in various scholarly journals.

The Ewing Lecture Series was established in 1973 when Robert H. Ewing, of whom it is named, retired after 27 years of teaching at Lycoming. His life was characterized by a deep religious faith, a passion for history and a strong devotion to a liberal arts education. These qualities touched the lives of all who came in contact with him and led his many friends to contribute to the Ewing fund to establish this series.

Alumnus appears on MSNBC show

Wed, 16 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. - Lycoming College alumnus Bob Edgar '65, president and CEO of Common Cause, appeared on The Rachel Maddow Show and talked about his organization's concern that Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas appears to have had a conflict of interest in the Citizen United case because of his speaking engagements with a wealthy right-wing group.

Edgar earned a degree in history from Lycoming. He appears appoximately 5:20 into the clip.

View the clip of The Rachel Maddow Show here.

Alumnus finds his calling in Chinese classroom

Thu, 10 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST

Professor of history receives grant for research in Spain

Mon, 17 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EST

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Lycoming College assistant professor of history Dr. Cullen Chandler has been awarded a grant from the Program for Cultural Cooperation (PCC) to support a six-week sabbatical in Barcelona, Spain, during which he will be researching medieval Spanish history and culture.

While there, Chandler will have the opportunity to study scholarly work not easily available in the U.S., including hand-produced books from the ninth, tenth and eleventh centuries inaccessible outside of Barcelona.

“The crucible of the thriving later medieval principality known as Catalonia was the ninth-century Spanish March, which clung to the Pyrenees Mountains and the Mediterranean coast, separating regions of Christian rule in Europe from the Muslim controlled area of Spain,” says Chandler. “From this nucleus, settlement under Christian rule expanded into loosely controlled areas beginning in the late ninth century. Annexing a region requires more than merely military conquest, so my project examines the role of culture, including religion, in the integration of a conquered area in order to assess the mutual reinforcement of political and cultural institutions.”

The PCC was created by the Spanish Government''s Ministry of Culture and a distinguished group of Hispanists from U.S. academic institutions to promote the study of Spain in the U.S. in the humanities and social sciences.

Students present at medieval and early modern studies conference

Wed, 08 Dec 2010 00:00:00 EST

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Eight Lycoming College students presented papers at the 5^th Annual Undergraduate Conference in Medieval and Early Modern Studies, held Dec. 4 at Moravian College. The interdisciplinary program explored and celebrated the literature, history, art and philosophy of the periods ranging from 500 CE to 1800 CE.

Student presenters collaborated with Lycoming faculty Dr. Todd Preston, assistant professor and chair of the English department, and Dr. Cullen Chandler, assistant professor of history, in preparation of their papers.

The students and presentations were:

Nathan Bowley, a senior English literature major from Sparta, N.J. - “The Arthurian Authenticity – Using the Myth as Reality.”

Amanda Burt, a senior archaeology major from Cobleskill, N.Y. - “Crannogs: Defining the Function and Construction of Water-dwelling Structures in Scotland and Ireland.”

Danielle Heaney, a senior archaeology major from Lusby, Md. - “Irish Monasticism: A Unique Institution.”

Melody Johnson, a senior creative writing and psychology major from East Stroudsburg, Pa. - “The Tragic Wedding of Medieval Society and Romance.”

Alexa LaRocco, a junior archaeology and history major from Torrington, Conn. - “Carolingian Art and Its Relationship with Religion.”

Brandon Sellers, a sophomore from Baltimore, Md. - “Stupid Speakers in Chaucer’s Dream Vision Poems.”

Denyse Walters, a junior archaeology and religion major from Flint, Mich. - “Infidels: The Perception of Muslims in Middle English Literature.”

Amy Weaver, a creative writing major seeking education certification from Williamsport, Pa.- “The Sickness of Love in Chaucer’s Troilus and Criseyde.”

The conference is one of the nation’s few undergraduate conferences focused on humanities and was the first to feature medieval and early modern studies. This year, more than 100 students from 30 colleges and universities across the country attended.