MAJOR – History and Regional Studies

Schreiner University offers courses leading to the Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in History, with concentrations in either American or European History. The program is designed to instill in students a broad and analytical outlook which is essential for a truly educated and productive citizen.
Lower level courses focus on acquisition of historical knowledge, historical thinking, writing skills, and conceptual analysis. Upper division courses and seminars emphasize historical research, evaluation of sources, and critical historical analysis. The History faculty assumes that an objective and accurate assessment of historical trends will cultivate in each student a greater awareness and appreciation of contemporary society and lead to greater individual awareness and appreciation.
Employment opportunities for liberal arts graduates in general, and History majors in particular, are expanding significantly. History graduates are qualified to enter fields such as teaching, law, foreign and government service, paralegal professions, business, communications, and research. Both the major and minor in History prepare students for related graduate studies.
Program Coordinator
BIO
Michael Cude, PhD
Classes Taught
- Modern East European & Russian History
- Modern West European History
- World Wars in Europe
- Ancient to Medieval Europe
- US Immigration History
- Ancient and Classical Greece
- Fantasy and Horror in European History
- Historical Methods
- Historical Discourses (Senior Capstone)
- United States and the World
- United States Foreign Relations since 1898
- United States Society and Diplomacy during the World Wars
- World Civilization to 1600
- World Civilization since 1600
- United States History to 1865 (1877)
- United States History since 1865 (1877)
- Texas History
Publications
- Woodrow Wilson: The First World War and Modern Internationalism. Abingdon, Oxon, UK: Routledge, 2024.
- The Slovak Question: A Transatlantic Perspective, 1914–1948. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 2022.
- History Snapshots: Europe, Ancient and Classical. Hunt, Tx: Hexco Academic, 2020.
- Co-author with Ellen Paul, “Czechoslovakia” in East Central European Migrations during the Cold War: A Handbook, ed. Anna Mazurkiewicz (Berlin: DeGruyter, 2019): 101-135.
- “The Transatlantic Slovak Question in the Interwar Period,” Slovakia (2019) 44, 82 & 83: 18-59.
- “Wilsonian National Self-determination and the Slovak Question during the Founding of Czechoslovakia, 1918-1921,” Diplomatic History (2016) 40, 1: 155-180
- “The Imagined Exiles: Slovak-Americans and the Slovak Question during the First Czechoslovak Republic,” in From Exsilium to Exile: Coercion in Migration, Studia Historica Gedanensia, vol. 5, ed. Anna Mazurkiewicz (Gdansk, Poland: University of Gdansk History Institute, 2014): 287-305
- Historical Consultant/Editor, History Snapshots, 1900-1945: US Timeline, National History Bee (Hunt, Tx: Hexico Academic, 2018).
Education
- Ph.D., History, University of Colorado at Boulder, 2013
- M.A., History, University of Liverpool, UK, 2007
- B.A., International Relations, Texas State University, 2006
Research and Teaching Areas
- Central & Eastern Europe
- Immigration
- Nationalism
- International Relations & Diplomacy
- First and Second World War
- The Cold War and Communism
- U.S. and the World
Specialty Minor
Youth Educational Opportunities
Program Coordinator
BIO
JEANNETTE W. COCKROFT
EDUCATION
- Ph.D. – Department of History, Texas A&M University, 2000
- M.A – Department of Political Science, University of Kansas, 1989
- B.A. – Department of East Asian Languages & Cultures, University of Pennsylvania, 1980
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
- 2002-present – Associate Professor, History/Political Science, Schreiner University, Kerrville, TX
- 2001-2002 – Director, Joint Language Institute, Suzhou University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
PUBLICATIONS
Peer Reviewed Journal Articles
- 2013 “The Transformative Power of Work: The Early Life of Margaret Chase Smith,”
Maine History, 47/2: 235-254.
Peer-Reviewed Book Chapters
- 2019 “Teaching American Government in the People’s Republic of China” in Narrative Inquiries from Fulbright Lecturers in China: Cross-Cultural Connections in Higher Education, edited by Shin Freedman, Patrick Munday, & Jeannette W. Cockroft,
(Routledge Press/Taylor & Francis: New York), 2019
Edited Books
- Narrative Inquiries from Fulbright Lecturers in China: Cross-Cultural Connections in Higher Education, edited by Shin Freedman, Patrick Munday, & Jeannette W. Cockroft, (Routledge Press/Taylor & Francis: New York), 2019
Non-Peer Reviewed Articles
- 2019 “Harriet E. Turner” in Biographical Database of NAWSA Suffragists, 1890-1920, https://documents.alexanderstreet.com/d/1009656494 (forthcoming)
- 2019 “Margaret Chase Smith” in Women in the American Political System: An Encyclopedia of Women as Voters, Candidates, and Office Holders, edited by Dianne Bystrom & Barbara Burrell, (ABC-CLIO, Inc.: Santa Barbara, CA), 2019
- 2017 “It Shouldn’t Surprise Anyone that Susan Collins Opposes the GOP’s Latest Obamacare Repeal Effort,” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/made-by-history/wp/2017/09/25/it-shouldnt-surprise-anyone-that-susan-collins-opposes-the-gops-latest-obamacare-repeal-effort/? utm_term=.fdbd8a987f0f#comments
Manuscripts in Submission
- Just ‘Doing What Any Woman Would Do’: Margaret Chase Smith, Dwight D. Eisenhower and the 1955 Visit to Skowhegan, Maine,” (revise/resubmit), Journal of New England History
Book Reviews
- 2013 Review of Keira A. Williams. Gendered Politics in the Modern South: The Susan Smith Case and the Rise of a New Sexism. Baton Rouge, LA: Louisiana State University Press. 2012. https://h-net.org/reviews/showpdf.php?id=39306.
- 2008 Review of Scott Kaufmann. Rosalynn Carter: Equal Partner in the White House. Lawrence, KS: University of Kansas Press. 2007. http://www.h-net.org/reviews/showpdf.php?id=22924.
- 2006 Review of Steven L. Piott. American Reformers, 1870-1920: Progressives in Word and Deed. New York: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. 2006. Teaching History.32/2.
- 2003 Review of Patrick Jordan, ed. Dorothy Day: Writings from Commonweal. Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press. 2002. Mystics Quarterly.152-153.
HONORS AND AWARDS
- 2019 Love of Learning Award, Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, Sept 5
- 2016 Recipient, Fulbright Scholar Grant, School of Political Science & Public Administration, Southwest University, Chongqing, China, Sept 2016-July 2017
- 2016 Participant, NEH Summer Institute, Confucian Asia: Traditions and Transformations, East-West Center, Honolulu, HI, June 13-July 15
- 2016 Excellence in Teaching Award, Schreiner University Chapter, Sigma Alpha Pi, National Honor Society of Leadership and Success
- 2008 Delta Kappa Gamma, International Honor Society for Women Educators, Eta Xi Chapter
- 2008 Schreiner University Faculty Development Grant
- 2007 Who’s Who in American Education, 7th edition
- 2006 Schreiner University Academic Advisor of the Year
- 2004 Honorary Member, Schreiner University Chapter, Alpha Lambda Delta
- 2000 Who’s Who in America, Millennium edition
- 2000 Who’s Who in the South and Southwest, 26th edition
- 2000 Who’s Who of American Women, 21st edition
INVITED TALKS
- 2017 “American Political Culture,” Ministry of Science, Education, Culture and Sports, Association of Mongolian Women Scientists, WSTEM, Sustainable Development and Urgent Problems of Social Development, National University of Mongolia, Ulaan Baatar, Mongolia, June 17.
- 2017 “Race and Gender in American Politics,” WSTEM Workshop: Supporting Scientists To Participate in Exchange Practices and Politics, Mongolian University of Science and Technology, Ulaan Baatar, Mongolia, June 16.
- 2017 “How the American Government Works,” WSTEM Workshop: Supporting Scientists To Participate in Exchange Practices and Politics, Mongolian University of Science and Technology, Ulaan Baatar, Mongolia, June 16.
- 2017 “Applying for the Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program: Enhancing Your Application and Maximizing Your Chances,” Rongchang campus, Southwest University, Chongqing, China, May 25.
- 2017 “The American College Experience,” Rongchang campus, Southwest University, Chongqing, China, May 25.
- 2017 “Richard Hofstadter, Donald Trump and the Future of American Democracy,” Sichuan
University, Chengdu, China, April 20. - 2017 “Basic American Values: What Makes America Unique?,” College of Political Science
and Public Administration, Southwest University, Chongqing, China, March 30. - 2017 “The American College Experience,” International Education Week, Southwest
University, Chongqing, China, March 21. - 2016 “The American College Experience,” Honors College, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China, December 17.
- 2016 “General Characteristics of American Politics,” Honors College, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China, December 15.
- 2016 “Race and Gender in American Politics,” Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China, November 26.
- 2016 “Analysis of the American Presidential Election,” China Ocean University, Qingdao, China, November 25.
- 2016 “The American College Experience,” College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China, November 18.
- 2016 “Analysis of the 2016 American Presidential Election,” Honors Program, Shanghai International Studies University, November 10 & 11
- 2016 “How the American Electoral Process Works,” U.S. Embassy, Beijing, China, November 9.
- 2016 “What Happens Between Election Day and Inauguration Day?” U.S. Embassy, Beijing, China, November 9.
- 2016 “Race and Gender in American Politics,” Beijing Foreign Studies University, November 8.
- 2016 “Race and Gender in American Politics,” American Studies Forum, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China, October 29.
- 2016 “2016 American Presidential Election,” American Studies Forum, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China, October 28.
- 2016 “2016 American Presidential Election,” College of Political Science & Public Administration, Southwest University, Chongqing, China, October 25.
- 2002 “An Historical Overview of American Public Education,” Suzhou Education College, Suzhou, China, June 29.
- 2002 “Gender and Politics in the United States: Why More Women Don’t Hold Elective Office,” University of the Philippines, Los Banos, February 2.
- 2001 “Differences Between the American and the Chinese College Experience,” Suzhou University, Suzhou, China, December 19.
CONFERENCE ACTIVITY
Papers
- 2017 “The Fragile State of American Democracy in the Age of Trump,” 2017 Annual American Studies Network Conference,, “US-China Relations after the 2016 Election: Trump, Congress, and the Issues,” Sichuan University, Chengdu, China, April 21-23.
- 2016 “Exploring the Texas Hill Country: Using Local Resources and Local History to Illuminate the Challenges of the 21st Century,” Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association National Conference, Seattle, WA, March 22-25.
- 2015 “Just ‘Doing What Any Woman Would Do’: Margaret Chase Smith, Dwight D. Eisenhower and the 1955 Visit to Skowhegan, Maine,” Southwestern Historical Association Annual Conference, Denver, CO, April 8-11.
- 2013 “Mr. & Mrs. Smith Go to Washington: The Political Partnership of Clyde H. and Margaret Chase Smith in the 1930s,” National Social Science Association Fall Professional Development Conference, New Orleans, LA, October 7-9.
- 2008 “Dwight D. Eisenhower, Margaret Chase Smith, and the Reconstruction of the Republican Party,” National Social Science Association Professional Development Conference, Albuquerque, NM, October 19-21.
- 2008 “The Transformative Power of Work and Place: The Early Life of Margaret Chase Smith,” Rural Heritage Institute, Sterling College, Craftsbury Common, VT, June 10-15.
- 2008 “Declaration of Conscience as a Declaration of Self: The Autobiography of Margaret Chase Smith,” International Society for Educational Biography, Chicago, April 23-26.
- 2005 “The Road Not Taken: Eisenhower’s Party and Sen. Margaret Chase Smith” Mid-
American Conference on History, Lawrence, KS, September 22-24. - 2000 “Margaret Chase Smith and the Struggle for Political Legitimacy in the 1950s,” Fifth Southern Conference on Women’s History, University of Richmond, June 15-17.
Discussant
- 2019 Forum for Teaching and Research of American History from a Global Perspective, Group for Teaching U.S. History, College of History and Culture, Global Immersion Program, Southwest University, Chongqing, China, July 14.
- 2017 Graduate Student Panel III, 2017 Annual American Studies Network Conference, US-China Relations after the 2016 Election: Trump, Congress, and the Issues,” Sichuan University, Chengdu, China, April 21-23.
- 2015 Gender and Law Panel, Southwestern Historical Association Annual Conference, Denver, CO, April 8-11.
CAMPUS TALKS
- 2017 “Teaching Government in the People’s Republic of China”, October 15
- 2011 “This I Believe,” Lenten Meditation, Schreiner University, April 4
- 2010 “The Last Lecture,” Student Senate, Schreiner University, April 27
- 2010 “Gendercide in China,” Global Awareness Week, Schreiner University, November 11
- 2004 “Adventures in the Middle Kingdom,” Hallman Chautauqua Series, Schreiner University, February 23
- 2003 “What Happened to American Feminism?” Schreiner University 80th Birthday Celebration and Convocation, Schreiner University, August 22
- 2003 “What I Wish I Had Known in My First Year as New Faculty,” New Faculty Orientation, Schreiner University, August 13
- 2002 “Chinese vs. American College Experiences,” Parents’ Weekend, Schreiner University, October 28.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Schreiner University
- Pre-Civil War/Post-Civil War American history (fall/spring 2002-present)
- American women’s history (fall 2003/2005-present)
- Traditional/Modern East Asian history (fall 2006-present)
- Historiography/Research methods (fall 2006-fall 2015)
- Interdisciplinary studies (spring 2008, spring 2011)
- American government (spring 2002, summer 2005-2015)
- Sino-American relations (spring 2009/2011; 2019 )
- International Political Economy (spring 2013)
Southwest University
- American Women’s History and Public Policy (Global Immersion Program, summer 2019)
- Lectures on Historical Research Methods and American Foreign Policy (summer 2018)
- Introduction to American government (fall 2016; spring 2017)
- English Corner/practicing conversational English (fall 2016, spring 2017)
Suzhou University
- Conversational English (fall 2001, spring 2002)
- English composition (fall 2001, spring 2002)
- Research skills (spring 2002)
- Blinn Junior College, Adjunct Faculty
- Texas government (fall 1992-fall 1996)
- American government (fall 1992-fall 1996)
- Texas A&M University, Lecturer
- Pre-Civil War American history (spring 2001)
- Texas A&M University, Instructor
- Pre-Civil War American history (fall 1992-fall 1998; fall 2000)
- Post-Civil War American history (fall 1992-fall 1998)
- Traditional East Asian history (spring 1997; fall 1998)
PROFESSIONAL SERVICE
To Profession
- Judge, Thomas D. Clark Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Research Paper on an American History topic, Kentucky Association of Teachers of History (KATH), September 2015
- Judge, Raymond F. Betts Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Research Paper on a World History topic, Kentucky Association of Teachers of History (KATH), September 2015
- Judge, Anita Sanford Tolson High School Writing Award, Kentucky Association of Teachers of History (KATH), September 2015
- Peer Reviewer, International Social Science Review, Official Journal of Pi Gamma Mu, Honor Society for the Social Sciences
- Reader, AP US History Exam, Louisville, KY (June 11-19, 2007)
To University
- Chair, Department of History and Regional Studies (spring 2019)
- Advising Task Force (fall 2017-spring 2019)
- Supplemental Instruction Mentor (fall 2014-spring 2016; fall 2017)
- Coordinator, History Program (fall 2014-spring 2016; fall 2017-spring 2019)
- Diversity Committee (fall 2015-spring 2016)
- Faculty advisor for Student Organizations (fall 2003-fall 2006/2010/2015; spring 2011)
- Advisor, senior theses (fall 2015/ 2016/2017; spring 2002/2008/2010)
- New Student Enrollment & Success Committee (fall 2014-spring 2015)
- Honors Advisory Committee (fall 2010-spring 2011)
- Committee on Institutional Goals (fall 2010, spring 2011/2012)
- Teacher Education Committee (fall 2010/2012; spring 2011)
- Chair, Assistant Professor of Political Science Search Committee (spring 2011)
- Chair, Admissions Committee (spring 2005-spring 2007)
- Faculty Affairs Committee (fall 2005, spring 2006)
- Retention Committee (fall 2005-fall 2007)
- Mentor/faculty evaluator for adjunct faculty/junior faculty (fall 2004/2007 to present)
To Community
- TESOL Instructor, Families and Literacy, Kerrville, TX, (August 2011-May 2012)
- Campus Liaison, Delta Kappa Gamma Community Book Drive, Kerrville, TX (2008)
Selected Community Talks
- 2019 “My Chongqing Life,” Unitarian-Universalist Church of the Hill Country, May 20
- 2019 “The Persistent Power of Patriarchy: Women’s Liberation in China,” Unitarian-Universalist Fellowship, January 13
- 2017 “Teaching American Government in the People’s Republic of China.” Unitarian-Universalist Fellowship, December 11.
- 2016 “George Washington, Superhero, and His Sidekick, Martha,” Sons of the American Revolution, February 9
- 2013 “Women’s Political Participation before Suffrage and Why the Vote Matters,” League of Women Voters, August 23
- 2008 “My Vote is My Voice: Education,” League of Women Voters Panelist, October 20
- 2005 “Lessons from a Chinese (Re)Education Camp,” Delta Kappa Gamma, February 7
- 2005 “Lessons from a Chinese (Re)Education Camp,” Unitarian-Universalist Fellowship, December 12
- 2004 “Women in the American Revolution,” Sons of the American Revolution, Sept. 21
- 2004 “Adventures in China: A Year in the Middle Kingdom,” Kerrville Noon Rotary Club, June 9
Related Professional Skills
- 2011 CELTA training, International Language School, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, July
LANGUAGES
- French, Intermediate reading with dictionary
- Mandarin, Beginner speaking, intermediate reading with dictionary