Digital Commons Network^™

Serving With Pride: Analyzing Lgbtq+ Personnel Policy In The U.S. Military, Sonja Woolley

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis examines the evolution of LGBTQ+ personnel policies in the U.S. military, analyzing how these changes reflect broader social transformations and the military’s role as both a mirror and catalyst in societal shifts. It traces the historical roots of discriminatory practices against queer and transgender servicemembers, identifying key periods of reform and resistance. Using institutional theory to dissect the mechanisms of policy adaptation, this paper focuses on coercive, mimetic, and normative isomorphism, which illustrate the complex interplay between external societal pressures, internal demands for legitimacy, and the professionalization of the military. Through detailed case studies, the thesis highlights how …

A Narrative Map Of Fort Missoula: Silence, Stillness And Death In Living Cultural Memory, Daniel A. Goldhamer

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Fort Missoula is a rare site of history, memory, and narrative. This project seeks to trace the complex web of identities and relationalities at the Fort through a narrative map: a method that combines site-based ethnography and qualitative storytelling relying on first-person perspective. This methodological framework reveals that Fort Missoula’s distinct character lies in its role as a living archive of cultural memory, accessible through the past, present, and future narratives of its places and spaces. Engaging with the theories of Foucault (1972), de Certeau (1984), and Low (2017), the narrative map of Fort Missoula is a work that investigates …

Digitizing Historical Resources On The Ohio & Erie Canal, S. Victor Fleischer

University Research

Louis Baus, photographer, shot numerous scenes along the Ohio & Erie, Miami & Erie, and the connecting feeder canals. This collection of over 400 photo negatives portrays a sense of canal life during the late 1800s to early 1900s. Found in this collection are images of canal boats, crew and passengers, as well as various locks, businesses and homes along the canal ways.

Empowering Families: The Role Of Labor Unions In Advancing Paid Family Leave Policy, Madison Goza

Honors Program Theses and Research Projects

Enacted in 1993, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) was the first substantial piece of federal legislation offering job-protected, unpaid leave to Americans. Since then, several states have passed laws offering an expansion of these protections including paid leave options, but no further policies have been adopted federally. Americans in need of these expansions are looking to a social force capable of advocating for such policy adoptions: organized labor. Thus, labor unions offer a case of interest to economists, political scientists, and sociologists in search of the expansion of federal workplace protections. Using both comparative legal and policy analysis …

In Memoriam: Fred R. Gowans (1936-2023), Rocky Mountain Fur Trade Historian, Jay H. Buckley

Faculty Publications

Fred R. Gowans is the proverbial American original – or, better yet, Western American original. Fred talked and wrote convincingly about the American West and the fur trade because he spent so much time in it, exploring or retracing old trails. Fred made no pretenses. He dressed for class, public talks, or academic presentations the same way he dressed for working with his horses: Western hat, Western shirt, Levis, cowboy boots, and on the rare occasion a sport coat and bolo tie. He lived with his wife Gloria in a log home that he and his father Floyd had built …

"I Know The Dream Mine Is True": Mormons, Mining, And The Making Of "Bad Religion" In Early Twentieth-Century Utah, Christine V. Shell

American Studies ETDs

In 1894, folksy Mormon farmer-turned-prophet John H. Koyle, Jr, dreamed that an angel from the Book of Mormon showed him where and how to mine for golden ore and Book of Mormon treasures. Shortly afterwards, Koyle and a handful of friends established the “Dream Mine” at the revealed location, and as word spread additional workers joined the cause—for this was a mine destined to save the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members from financial and spiritual ruin during the long-foretold apocalyptic “Last Days.”

Koyle’s followers took delight and solace from their participation in the Dream Mine’s …

Washington Skiers In The 1936 Winter Olympic Games, John W. Lundin

Works by Local Authors

The 1936 Winter Olympics featured Alpine skiing for the first time, with downhill and slalom racing and a combined event (downhill and slalom), along with Nordic events (cross-country, Nordic combined, and jumping).  Men and women competed in the Alpine events, although only men were allowed in the Nordic events.

The Grizzly, December 7, 2023, Marie Sykes, Erin Corcoran, Georgia Gardner, Hannah Conley, Kate Horan, Sean Mcginley, Amelia Kunko, Dominic Minicozzi

Ursinus College Grizzly Newspaper, 1978 to Present

Spring 2023 Recap • Fall 2023 Recap • Farewell From the News Editor • Farewell From the Web Editor • Students Surprise With Spotify Wrapped Lists • 2023 Crossword • Reflections From Ursinus' December Graduates • Ursinus Athletics Fall 2023 Recap: Men's • Ursinus Athletics Fall 2023 Recap: Women's

The Art And Mystery Of Pragmatic History, David Hardin

History Theses

This thesis considers how we make meaning in our individual lives and in practice as historians. From an initializing question —Why do people believe things that have either been proven false or shown improbable?— born out of historical discourse in the liminal space between mythology and history, this thesis embarks on a inquiry into meaning that is both deeply philosophical and practical. The work develops a historical method that falls within the tradition of Pragmatism, and then turns this method toward two case studies (Pedro Huízar and Señora Candelaria) from San Antonio, Texas. The aim is to explore two myths …

Amateur Status Was A Dominant Issue In The Early Days Of Spo, John W. Lundin

Works by Local Authors

In the late 1800s, professional sports attracted high-stakes gambling. The potential for bribery and extortion led to a general sense that paid athletes were corruptible and competitions untrustworthy. While betting on amateur events was common, a deep divide emerged between "pure" amateurs, who were said to compete for the love of the sport, and professionals, who competed for money in the form of cash prizes or other remuneration. This prejudice even extended to coaches who had been professionals, who were believed to be too tainted to coach amateurs. The distinction often boiled down to so-called gentleman-athletes, who had private fortunes, …

The United States And The Need For An Improved Global Citizenship In The Twenty-First Century: How History Shaped Our Identity As A Nation, Karin Mika

Cleveland State Law Review

This Article describes how accidents of geography and history enabled the United States to become the global power that it has become. It examines how the extended warring in Europe during the Eighteenth and Nineteenth century allowed the United States to develop as a country without the repeated necessity of continually rebuilding, as was happening in Europe. The Article explores how the isolation of the United States enabled it to develop continuity in its initially experimental political system—a continuity that was never available to Europe. These factors enabled the United States to be in the position of being able to …

Beyond Words: An Exploration Of Research And Writing For Indigenous Land Acknowledgements, Oksana Flores

Master of Arts in Professional Writing Capstones

This capstone delves into the practical application and importance of land acknowledgments within the frameworks of Critical Indigenous Theory and Narrative Theory. Through the utilization of archival research methods, the project not only offers recommendations for crafting an effective land acknowledgment but also provides the necessary historical foundation for the implementation of such a statement at Kennesaw State University. This effort serves to strengthen the university's commitment to diversity and equity on campus.

State Charter School Law Scores As A Predictor Of Illegal Activity Within The Chartering Sector, David Stashevsky

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

State charter school policy is influenced through a collaboration between advocacy groups and state legislators. Charter school advocacy groups have an inherent bias toward deregulation and autonomy. Two advocacy groups, the Center for Education Reform (CER) and the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools (NAPCS), each conduct annual analyses on state charter school laws using their own model charter law as the comparator. Each group has developed a rubric of indicators with sub-scores which combine to form an overall state score. Higher scores indicate a closer adherence to the advocacy group’s model charter law. The charter school sector in the …

Termites, Bully Boys, And The Architect Of Search & Destroy: An Assessment Of General William E. Depuy As Macv J-3 And Commander Of The 1st Infantry Division, Republic Of Vietnam, 1964-67, Adam D. Coste

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

As Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations (J-3) at MACV from 1964-1966, General William DePuy served as the main architect of the campaign strategy implemented by General William Westmoreland in fighting both VC and NVA units during the earliest and most critical years of the Vietnam War. Following his role at MACV, DePuy assumed command of the 1^st Infantry Division in March 1966 where he exhibited a distinct command philosophy and transformed the organizational culture of the “Big Red One” through a series of directives and tactical innovations. Most historians are critical of Westmoreland’s chosen strategy as well as …

The Octofoil, October/November/December 2023, Ninth Infantry Division Association

The Octofoil

The Octofoil is the offical publication of the Ninth Infantry Division Association, Inc., an organization formed by the officers and men of the 9th Infantry Division in order to perpetuate the memory of fallen comrades, preserve the esprit de corps of the Division, promote peace and serve as an information bureau about the 9th Infantry Division. The Association is made up of 9th Infantry veterans from WWII and Vietnam, spouses, widows and lineal descendants.

2023-2024 Ursinus College Course Catalogue, Office Of The Registrar

Ursinus College Catalogues, 1869-Present

A digital copy of the 2023-2024 Ursinus College Catalog. It contains details of the curriculum, departmental requirements and courses of instruction as well as the Open Questions core requirements, experiential learning and the Common Intellectual Experience (CIE). Academic policies, special opportunities and scholarships, off-campus programs and graduation requirements are also outlined.

Environments Of War: The Pacific Northwest And The Waging Of World War Ii, Katherine L. Macica

Dissertations

The Pacific Northwest served an essential role in America’s “Arsenal of Democracy.” Weapons and material produced in the Northwest proved essential to the Allied victory in World War II. These weapons served as agents of destruction abroad, but became agents of transformation for the places in which they were produced. This dissertation examines four of the most important resources and industries in Oregon and Washington to emerge or expand as a result of the war: hydroelectric power, forest products, shipbuilding, and aircraft manufacture. The wartime development of these industries profoundly reshaped the physical and economic landscape of the Pacific Northwest, …

The Hangman, Not The Prince, Steve Hughes

Theses and Dissertations

For the first time, contemporary records of the 1870s, 1880s and 1890s, including interviews with George Maledon, have been used to document that George Maledon, known for almost 150 years as “The Prince of Hangmen,” was, despite his contentions, not the hangman for all of the murderers executed in Fort Smith, Arkansas, between 1873 and 1896. Rather, his legendary status came as a result of his manipulation of sensationalist reporters who came to Fort Smith to witness the hangings and whose stories were reprinted around the country.

Casar Public Lecture: October Surprise? Iran And Jimmy Carter’S Electoral Defeat In 1980, The Prince Alwaleed Center For American Studies And Research Casar

Performances, Events, and Presentations

September 10, 2023 at 1 pm

AUC New Campus Tim Sullivan Lounge

Event Report by CASAR Research Assistant: Maha Muehlhaeusler

Event Title: October Surprise? Iran and Jimmy carter’s Electoral Defeat in 1980

This event was the Center for American Studies and Reseach’s (CASAR) first event of the Fall 2023 semester. Around thirty individuals were hosted, including faculty members from HUSS, GAP and interested students from across AUC. Snacks and coffee were offered as well. The event was co-hosted by CASAR Assistant Director & Adjunct Faculty Yasmeen El Ghazaly and Director of the CASAR Dr. Mark W. Deets, who warmly welcomed …

The Grizzly, October 5, 2023, Marie Sykes, Sidney Belleroche, Sophia Kumar, Amelia Kunko, Adam Denn, Quadai Brown, Renie Christensen, Kate Horan, Dominic Minicozzi, Donovan Dyitt

Ursinus College Grizzly Newspaper, 1978 to Present

Lantern Submissions Now Open • Well Wishes to Dee Singley • Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month • Change to Good Samaritan Policy • Best Buddies: Friendship and Inclusivity • A Radio Revolution: WVOU Opens Up for the Semester • Cafe 2020: Good, Could be Better • Renie and Kate's Meme Corner • Nick Nocito on UC Men's Basketball's New Dawg Mentality • Athletes in Action! (A Thread)

Grounding History Instruction: Engaging Place And Scale Through Iterative Local Inquiry Design, Megan Vangorder

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

Teaching local history is often an afterthought in the high school history classroom. It is difficult to find enough instructional time to incorporate local stories and there are often gaps in resource development and approach from a local lens. This article seeks to help teachers articulate a locally driven inquiry approach. Using Illinois as the local framework and the C3 Inquiry Design Model as the tool, teachers can begin to map out how to implement the competing mandates to promote disciplinary skill development, demonstrate content expertise using state mandated units of study, drive student-oriented history, and foster civic competence all …

The Grizzly, September 28, 2023, Marie Sykes, Amelia Kunko, Theodora Zeibekis, Renie Christensen, Kate Horan, Andrew J. Perez, Kathy Logan

Ursinus College Grizzly Newspaper, 1978 to Present

Recovery Friendly Workplace • Fall-ing for Ursinus Crossword • Study Tips With Coffeestudi • Correction to "Student Responses to Changes in Good Samaritan Policy" • Two Gentlemen of Lenfest • Two Gentlemen of Verona Rehearsal Photos • Renie and Kate's Meme Corner • A Tasty Trip to the Trappe Tavern • Volleyball Veterans • A Healthy Lifestyle: The Importance of Food and Nutrition

Sex In The Sixties: Playboy's Contradictory Contribution To Social Change In The 1960s, Emily Stucky

The Cardinal Edge

This paper summarizes the perceptions of Playboy magazine during the height of its influence, from 1955 to 1975, through the lens of social justice advocates in the 1960s. Many historical scholars characterize Playboy magazine as strictly anti-feminist, while others would cast Hugh Hefner as liberating in his ideology and political views, seen through reviews of the magazine throughout the 1960s and comments from Hefner himself. But it is more likely Playboy’s legacy is much more complicated than either of these positions allow. Playboy occupied a conflicting role in the 1960s: liberating in its post-war sex standards for both men …

Wagon Tracks Volume 37, Issue 4 (Aug 2023)

Wagon Tracks

2 On the Cover: Fort Union Ruins on the Santa Fe Trail: Timothy K. Lewis

4 Insights from your President

5 Joanne’s Jottings

6-7 Trail News

7 In Memoriam: Nancy Lee Robertson

8-11 2023 Symposium

12-18 Diary of Lydia Ann Spangenberg Kahl: 1859 Overland from Missouri to California

by Joy Poole

19-22 Governor Manuel Armijo's Medal of Honor y Robert J. Tórrez and Charles Martínez y Vigi

23-27 Santa Fe Trail Association Bylaw Changes

28 Doctrine of Discovery

28 Chapter Reports

29 Membership Form

32 Calendar

Review Of Crucible: The Year That Forged Our World, Timothy Li

Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History

The months between June 1947-1948, as Jonathan Fenby argues, was a pivotal moment in world history. This review will evaluate Fenby's work in 'Crucible' to conclude that Fenby is correct in this assessment. Moreover, this review will argue that 'Crucible' acts as a uniquely reactive portrait of international affairs between June 1947-1948, giving the post-revisionist school on the origins of the Cold War more credibility.

Justice, Pandemics, And Museums In Cyberspace: Archaeology Museums’ Decolonization Projects During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Samuel Besse

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This paper explores three Archeology Museums (Historic St. Mary’s City, James Madison’s Montpelier, and the American Museum of Natural History), their attempts at addressing the colonial narratives that museums are built on, and how the Covid-19 pandemic and protests over George Floyd’s death affected these projects. I place a special effort on the online presence of these museums, as this is the main way visitors interacted with the museums during the pandemic. After discussing the origins of museum’s decolonization efforts and their efforts to make an online presence, I talk about the Covid-19 pandemic and the events around George Floyd’s …

[Foreward To] Public Workers In Service Of America: A Reader, F. W. Gooding Editor, Eric S. Yellin Editor

Bookshelf

"From white-collar executives to mail carriers, public workers meet the needs of the entire nation. Frederick W. Gooding Jr. and Eric S. Yellin edit a collection of new research on this understudied workforce. Part One begins in the late nineteenth- and early twentieth century to explore how questions of race, class, and gender shaped public workers, their workplaces, and their place in American democracy. In Part Two, essayists examine race and gender discrimination while revealing the subtle contemporary forms of marginalization that keep Black men and Black and white women underpaid and overlooked for promotion. The historic labor actions detailed …

Abolition’S Informal Gatekeepers: The Role Of County Courts In The Making Of Pennsylvania’S ‘Free’ Border, Amanda Mcgee

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Because Pennsylvania was the first state to implement legislation that slowly ended slavery within the state, contests over freedom and the enforcement of where it began and ended became an essential element of Pennsylvania’s border-making policies in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century. The struggle over the territorial extent (by which I mean legal and geographical) of Pennsylvania abolition between enslavers intent on retaining their human chattel by any means necessary and enslaved men and women intent on asserting their freedom once they touched Pennsylvania “free soil” in turn, served to solidify the geopolitical boundary of the state in …

Limitations & Liberation: Republican Motherhood And Female Advancement In Nineteenth Century America, Hannah Russell

Graduate Masters Theses

First introduced by Linda Kerber in the 1970s, Republican Motherhood is the idea that described the role women were expected to play in the years following the American Revolution. Characterized by an expanded sphere of influence through the education of her sons to be prosperous future leaders of the nation and her daughters to be future mothers of American sons, Republican Motherhood played a significant role in the continuing development of gender relations in the early republic. To show the ways in which women utilized Republican Motherhood to reach self-actualization, I analyze the lives of Judith Sargent Murray, Catharine Beecher, …

American Identities In Virginia Education, Michael Mallery

Masters Theses, 2020-current

The students who attended The University of Virginia (UVA), Virginia Military Institute (VMI), Harrisonburg State Normal and Industrial School (HSNIS), and Fredericksburg State Normal and Industrial School (FSNIS) during the early twentieth century (1900-1918) showed changes in Southern gender identities. At UVA and VMI young men challenged the southern ideals of how they felt about their education by disagreeing with faculty and showing stressors within their education. Young men also fell into conflict with each other on certain social behaviors such as the usage of alcohol which went against Southern Christian morals and gentlemen behaviors if one embraced the idea …