University of Delaware Department of History

05/29/2026

Liam Trageser, 2026 History graduate, snorkeling the wing of an unidentified Japanese plan as part of UD's Project Recover. Liam, and a dozen other Blue Hens are attending the internment of 2nd Lt. Jason K. Goldwater today, a navigator aboard a B-52 bomber that crashed during WWII. Read the full story here: https://www.udel.edu/udaily/2026/may/project-recover-students-alumni-attend-interment-fallen-airman-jason-k-goldwater/

05/29/2026

Congratulations to all our 2026 History graduates!

From joyful celebrations in Delaware Stadium to unforgettable moments shared with family, friends and classmates, the Class of 2026 brought the energy, pride and excitement to Commencement Day. 🎓 Congratulations to our newest Blue Hen alumni — your next chapter starts now.

Read more from today’s Commencement celebration: https://brnw.ch/21x2LFi

05/06/2026

Congratulations to History major Marcus Beardsley and History minor Aili Inquito on their induction to Phi Beta Kappa.

Aili received the Clift and DeArmond Award which recognizes a second year undergraduate at UD who shows the most outstanding scholarly potential in a Phi Beta Kapa curriculum.

Marcus was awarded the Phi Beta Kappa Graduate Scholarship which supports graduate study in History (including the history of art) or literature (in English or another language) at an institution outside of the state of Delaware.

Read the full article here: https://www.udel.edu/udaily/2026/april/phi-beta-kappa-induction-ceremony/?utm_source=allstaff&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weeklyUpdate050626

04/24/2026

And this year's commencement speaker is.....

04/20/2026

DELAWARE SNAPSHOT 📸
UD Ag History & Fun Tradition
In 1869, the University of Delaware made history by becoming one of the 57 original U.S. Land-Grant Colleges. The Morrill Land-Grant Act aimed to fuel economic growth by giving colleges land and support in trade for their teaching agriculture and engineering. UD got and sold 90,000 acres in Montana, and invested and used the funds to start its Department of Agriculture. Over 50 years ago, the ag school held a free, public event that is now a tradition. On Saturday, April 25, UD’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources will host rain-or-shine Ag Day, 8 a.m.-3 p.m., at Townsend Hall, Newark. It’s known for great exhibits, freebies, food, fun, and plant sales.
– Compiled by robin brown, Writer in Residence
Delaware Public Archives
Board of Agriculture Glass Negative Collection
University of Delaware dairy farm
Photo: 1925, hand-tinted
ID: 1380-000-006_344

03/31/2026

Thursday, April 9, 2026
4:30pm - 6:00pm
Memorial Hall 127

Dr. Edward Wright-Rios, Professor of History and Mellon Foundation Chair in the Humanities at Vanderbilt University, will be the guest speaker for the History Department's Spring 2026 Speaks-Warnock Lecture.

Dr. Edward Wright-Rios, Professor of History and Mellon Foundation Chair in the Humanities at Vanderbilt University, will be the guest speaker for the History Department's Spring 2026 Speaks-Warnock Lecture and will address the following: "How does pilgrimage endure, and why is its popularity surgin...

03/16/2026

Holocaust survivor, Jan Rocek, shared his life story with students in Prof. Zavadivker's HIST 254: Jewish Holocaust (1933-1945) class last week. Read the full story below.

History students at the University of Delaware hear Holocaust survivor Jan Rocek share his powerful story of survival, resilience and the enduring value of freedom.

01/27/2026

Let's take a look at foxes really quick. Delaware has two fox species, Red Fox and Gray Fox. They do not hibernate! We had a visitor come and ask if a fox he saw over the last day or two was okay, since he saw it and it wasn't hibernating. Do not be alarmed. Foxes are just fine in the winter. They will go through a short hibernation with super cold days or a snow/winter storm called torpor, but it's not like the hibernation we know and read about. They are also going to be curling their tail around their face and feet to help with reducing frostbite and keeping them warm.

Also, unlike wolves or coyotes, red foxes don’t hunt in packs. Once they’re grown enough, say starting 3-4 months old, they hunt alone: stealthy, self-reliant, and always aware of their surroundings. Once they are 6-10 months old, they leave their family den to make their own. Even in the winter they are hunting regularly. So if you see a fox in the winter, it's fine (unless it's acting or looking sick). We are now in the beginning of fox mating season. So seeing more foxes is also normal for this reason as well.

Image generated using AI. No credit needed.

11/05/2025

The University of Delaware Department of History offers multiple courses that satisfy the College of Arts & Sciences Group B: History & Cultural Change Breadth Requirement.

Here are the courses offered this Winter Session online, async, with seats available:
HIST102010: European History since 1648
HIST104010: World History since 1400
HIST106010: U.S. History Since 1865
HIST/WOMS156010: American Sexualities
HIST170010: Plagues and Peoples in Human History
HIST190010: History of the Future
HIST200010: The History of Delaware (1609-2000)
HIST211010: American Military History
HIST221010: Film and American Society
HIST/JWST250010: Comparative Genocide
HIST337012: Topics in American History - American Sports History
HIST342010: Barbarian Europe

10/21/2025

Last week the students in HIST 336: Topics in Latin American History – History of Mexico and HIST 135: Intro to Latin American History set up an ofrenda (commonly translated as altar) for Día de los Mu***os in the Munroe Hall Lobby. Now heavily commercialized, Day of the Dead is a Mexican holiday blending indigenous beliefs and practices with the Catholic celebrations of November 1 and 2 (All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day). Pre-Hispanic cultures believe that the souls of the dead travel from the underworld to their gravesite or altar once each year on the night of November 1. To entice them to make the trip, family and loved ones collect favorite items and place photographs on the altar for the brief reunion.

As in previous years, the entire UD community is welcome to participate by placing a memento (photograph, object, etc.) of a deceased loved one on the altar in Munroe Hall. Students have already placed mementos honoring children who have died in Gaza these past two years and Ukrainian soldiers, among others. The ofrenda will be broken down on November 4th.