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March changed lives of former WSU employees

We were there …

Elaine Zakarison, Pullman resident and daughter of Fred Yoder, founder of the sociology department, and LeRoy Ashby, retired history professor, are among members of the WSU community who have special memories of attending the March on Washington (D.C.) in 1963, when Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech.

Read the article and find related stories at WSUNews

Text corrected 9:35am 8/30/2013

Exhibit showcases key role of unions in shaping Clark County

Laurie Mercier
Laurie Mercier

History Professor Laurie Mercier (WSU Vancouver) specializes in labor issues and says the growing disconnect between unions and the public is apparent in her classrooms.

Working with students, she’s developed about a dozen narrative and photo panels displayed in a new exhibit at Clark County Historical Museum.

Read more and see historical photos

No Changes for King Richard III — for now

Do-gooder or scoundrel – in the wake of the early February announcement that the skeleton found beneath a parking lot in central England is that of King Richard III, how much does it matter? After all, he reigned for only two years and died more than a half-millennium ago at the age of 32.

There’s also the question of how much a long-buried skeleton can tell us about the person’s actions and behaviors back in the 15th century, said Jesse Spohnholz, associate professor of European history. “While the bones confirm that he suffered wounds in battle and also resolve the puzzle of where he was buried, they are silent when it comes to telling us how he reigned.”

Read more about the debate >>

Endowment honors Sam Reed’s 45 years of public service

Sam Reed
Sam Reed

Washington State University’s College of Arts and Sciences will establish an endowment to fund the Sam Reed Distinguished Professorship in Civic Education and Public Civility in honor of Reed’s distinguished record of public service. He will retire from public office as Washington’s 14th secretary of state in January 2013.

Reed received his bachelor’s degree in social studies and master’s degree in political science from WSU.

“Much of my grounding in political science, history, and politics came from mentors and professors in my undergraduate and graduate school years at Washington State, and I am so happy to think that future generations will benefit from a Reed Professor,” Reed said. “I am delighted that Washington State University is creating a Sam Reed Distinguished Professorship in Civic Education and Public Civility.”
» More …

WSU professor in Ireland thrust into election coverage

Matthew Sutton
Matthew Sutton

By Darin Watkins, WSU News

The U.S. presidential race has captured the attention of people around the world, especially in Europe. As millions of Americans head to the polls, foreign media have ramped up their coverage.

Washington State University’s Matthew Sutton has found himself at the center of this interest in American politics. An associate professor of history, Sutton is on a Fulbright scholarship in Ireland lecturing on American cultural, political, and religious history at the University College Dublin.

What has attracted the media to Sutton is his background in writing about American politics.

In an interview on “RTE Morning Ireland,” Sutton was asked why the two presidential candidates seem to be avoiding the big issues rather than facing up to them in their campaigns.  Continue story →