16 August
Richard L. Beyer (1929) earned his PhD from the University of Iowa in 1929 with his dissertation “Robert Hunter, Royal Governor of New York: A Study in Colonial Administration.” Following graduation, Beyer worked as a history professor at the States Teachers’ College in Illinois. Beyer was an active member of the Illinois State Historical Society, publishing many articles including “The Historical Society in War Time” (1942). In 1943, Beyer co-authored A Handbook of Illinois History: A Topical Survey with Resources for Teachers and Students with his colleague, Paul M. Angle.
Francis J. Bowman (1929) earned his PhD from the University of Iowa in 1929 with his dissertation “Swedish Naval Power in the Baltic in the 17th Century”. Following graduation, Bowman was offered a position as a professor at Washington State College. He later became a history professor at the University of California and did one year as a visiting professor at John Hopkins University in the 1951-1952 school year. Bowman frequently wrote articles for both the Journal of Modern History and Pacific Historical Review and published book reviews for other scholarly journals. Some of his articles include “The Renaissance and The Reformation” (1935), “Dutch Diplomacy and the Baltic Grain Trade, 1600-1660” (1936), and “Sweden’s Wars, 1611-1632″ (1942). He was an active member of the American Historical Association and Phi Alpha Theta history honors society.
Dorsey D. Jones (1929) received his Ph.D from the University of Iowa in 1929 with his dissertation, later turned book, “Edwin Chadwick and the Early Public Health Movement in England.” Following graduation, he was hired by the Department of History at University of Arkansas where he taught and researched for over thirty-five years. In 1944, he was appointed head of the department and held the position until his retirement. In 1955, Jones co-authored a college text in Russian history called Russia: A Concise History with Dr. Basil Dmytryshyn and Dr. Robert Morris. Jones remained active with the Arkansas State Historical Society throughout his life and published numerous articles for University of Arkansas publications. The University of Arkansas houses a collection of Jones’s work in their archives.
Harold Briggs (1929) received his PhD from the University of Iowa in 1929 with his dissertation “The Settlement and Economic Development of the Territory of Dakota.” Following graduation, Briggs worked at the University of Miami in the Department of History. In 1939 he did a visiting professorship at Ralph-Macon Women’s College before returning to Miami. In 1951, Briggs was reported as working for the State Teachers’ College of Illinois. Briggs published his first book Frontiers of the Northwest: A History of the Upper Missouri Valley, also in 1951.
Willis G. Swartz (1929) received his PhD from the University of Iowa in 1929. In 1930, he was hired at the University of Illinois at Carbondale to serve as chairman of the Department of Government. Swartz served as chairman of the Graduate Council from 1943 to 1950 and dean of the Graduate School from 1950 to 1963. He later taught at Sterling College in Kansas, at Oregon State College, and was a visiting professor at the University of Illinois. He co-wrote the book Accreditation in Teacher Education (1965) with John R. Mayor and published numerous articles in educational journals as well as authoring the book American Governmental Problems.
Edward D. Branch (1928) received his PhD from the University of Iowa with his dissertation “The Cowboy and His Interpreters.” After graduation, Branch took a position as a history professor at the University of Pittsburgh. Branch’s book publications, The Hunting of The Buffalo (1929), Westward: The Romance of the American Frontier (1930), and The Story of America in Pictures (1946), reveal Branch’s interest in the history of westward expansion in the United States.
Willis Walker (1928) completed his M.A. (1925) and PhD (1928) with his dissertation “Franco-American Commercial Relations, 1820-1850.”
Frederick Tilberg (1928) received his PhD from the University of Iowa in 1928 with his dissertation, later turned book, “The Development of Commerce Between the United States and Sweden, 1870-1925.” After graduating, Tillberg joined the history faculty at Bradley Polytechnic Institute in Peoria, Illinois.
Raymond C. Werner (1927) received his PhD from the University of Iowa in 1927 with his dissertation “Joseph Galloway: His Life and Times.” He was active in the Illinois State Historical Society and the Mississippi Valley Historical Association. Werner joined the University of Illinois Department of History in 1927 where he taught until he passed away in 1952. During that time, Werner had 20 different publications focusing on early American history, including three books.
Vernon Cooper (1927) earned his PhD from the University of Iowa in 1927 with his dissertation “The Public Career of William Boyd Allison to 1879.” Cooper taught at Cotner College in Nebraska.
Arthur S. Williamson (1927)
Leonidas Dodson (1927) earned his PhD from the University of Iowa in 1927; that same year, he was hired at the University of South Dakota as an assistant professor of history. He later taught history courses at Princeton University and the University of Pennsylvania. During the summers, he taught at Iowa State and the University of Oregon. Dodson became University Archivist at the University of Pennsylvania in 1945, and additionally promoted to associate professor of history in 1971. Dodson’s research focused on the history of the University of Pennsylvania and the colonial history of Pennsylvania and Virginia. He wrote numerous articles on these subjects as well as writing and editing multiple books.
Bruce E. Mahan (1927) received his PhD from the University of Iowa in 1927. Early in his career, Mahan served as superintendent of schools in Cascade, Iowa, assistant principal at Iowa City High School, and as associate editor at the Iowa State Historical Society. From 1923 to 1961, Mahan worked at the University of Iowa in a number of positions, including director and dean of Extension Division and professor of history. He was elected to the Iowa House of Representatives in 1963, and stayed in office until 1966. Mahan’s published books and articles were primarily focused on Iowa history.
James H. St. John (1927) received his PhD from the University of Iowa in 1927 with his dissertation “Anglo-Spanish Commercial Relations, 1700-1750.” St. John took a position as a history professor at Miami University in Ohio after graduation. He later became the Assistant Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and retired in 1961.
Francis I. Moats (1926) earned his PhD from the University of Iowa in 1926 with his dissertation “The Educational Policy of the Methodist Episcopal Church Prior to 1860.” Moats taught at several institutions after graduation, including Montana Wesleyan University, Illinois College, and Simpson College. He stayed at Simpson for 32 years, serving as a professor and the head of the department of history. He was an active member of the Mississippi Valley Historical Society and published his second book, The Rise of Methodism in the Middle West, in the late 1920s.
Brynjolf J. Hovde earned his PhD from the University of Iowa in 1924. His research focused on social and economic conditions in Scandinavia in the 19th and 20th centuries. He was an instructor at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa from 1919 to 1923, Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania from 1924 to 1927, and at the University of Pittsburgh starting in 1927. He taught a range of courses covering Norwegian Language and Literature and topics in history and political science. Hovde also published articles such as “The Diplomatic Relations of the United States with Sweden and Norway, between 1814 and 1905,” (1921) as well as numerous others in the academic journals Journal of Political Economy, Current History Magazine, and Studies and Records of the Norwegian-American Historical Association.
Eli C. Christoferson (1924) received his M.A. in 1917 and PhD in 1924 from the University of Iowa. His M.A. thesis was titled “The Foreign Policy of William H. Seward” and his PhD dissertation, later turned book, was entitled “The Life of James W. Grimes.” Based on his publications, it appears Christoferson was interested in the history of American politics but more specifically the history of politicians such as Grimes in Iowa.
Raymond L. Welty (1924) received his PhD from the University of Iowa in 1924. He began teaching at the history department at Fort Hays State College in Kansas in 1936. His specializations were Western U.S. History and Military History, and he conducted extensive research on Fort Hays itself. He courses included U.S. History, American Diplomatic History, and English History.
F.A. Shannon (1924) received his PhD from the University of Iowa in 1924 with his dissertation “The Organization and Administration of the Union Army, 1860-1865.” Immediately after graduation, Shannon obtained a position as an assistant professor of history at the Iowa State Teachers College. In 1926, he moved to the Kansas College of Agriculture and Applied Science. Later, his dissertation turned book won the Pulitzer Prize for History in 1929. After graduation, F.A. Shannon became a member of the American Historical Association where published articles and assumed an active role in the organization. In 1930 departmental newsletter listed Shannon as the chairman of the Committee on Research in Colleges of the American Historical Association. Another departmental newsletter published in May of 1946 lists Shannon as a professor of history at University of Illinois. His specialization was in Agricultural History, with a contribution to a book entitled Farmers of the Last Frontier: Agriculture 1860-1897.
T.P. Christensen (1924) earned his PhD from the University of Iowa in 1924 with his dissertation entitled “History of Danes in Iowa,” which later became a book titled Dansk Amerikansk Historie published in 1927. Christensen’s dissertation turned book was just one of several that he published during his lifetime. The list includes A Historic Trail of the American Indians, The Hawkeye State: A History for Home and School, and The Story of Iowa: A Children’s Story. He also published a variety of articles focusing on the history of Iowa and the history of Danish people living in Iowa that can be found in The Annals of Iowa. Christensen also has a variety of publications on the Danish settlements in other Midwestern states, such as Minnesota and Wisconsin. A 1930 departmental newsletter listed Christensen as the Extension Director at Illinois State Teachers College.
Bertha A. Reuter (1923) earned her PhD from the University of Iowa in 1923 with her dissertation titled, “Anglo-American Relations During the Spanish-American War.” During the end of her PhD program at University of Iowa, Reuter published her article “A Man of Vision,” a biographical piece about James Wilson who served as Secretary of Agriculture under President William McKinley, in The Palimpsest. The Palimpsest was a historical magazine published by the State Historical Society of Iowa that began in 1920 and published its last magazine in 1996. After graduation in 1923, Reuter was offered a position in the Department of History at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia. Her dissertation was made into a book in 1924, published by Macmillan Press and was reported to have received “favorable reviews.” In 1930 Reuter married Edward B. Meinert. In 1944 Reuter began working for the U.S. Postal Service where she stayed for 28 years until her retirement in 1972.
Bessie L. Pierce (1923) earned her PhD from the University of Iowa in 1923 and joined Iowa’s department of history as a professor that same year. In 1929, Pierce moved on to the University of Chicago, where she served as a professor and the head of the History of Chicago Project. Under her leadership, the Project endeavored to survey all relevant history records for a definitive four-volume account of Chicago’s development from 1673 to 1915. With the help of graduate students at the University of Chicago, the first volume was published in 1937, the second in 1940, and the third in 1957. These volumes received much praise and serve as valuable reference works. Though it was never published, Pierce continued work on the fourth volume until her death in 1974. Her other books include Public Opinion and the Teaching of History (1926), Civic Attitudes in American School Textbooks (1930), and Citizens’ Organizations and the Civic Training of Youth (1933).
Cornelius C. Regier (1922) earned his PhD from the University of Iowa in 1922 with his dissertation, later turned book, “The Era of Muck-Rakers.” He published a second book, though it unclear when, that is currently held by the University of Iowa Libraries Annex. His second book is titled “Pioneer Experiences of Father, Mother, and Grandfather.” The book looks at the life of his family members as they traveled across the United States, eventually living in Kansas. In a memoir written by his youngest brother Alvin, Cornelius, affectionately referred to as C.C. by his family, is remembered fondly for his knowledge of history, especially as WWI rolled around. Regier passed away in Kansas in 1950 at the age of 66. Not much is known about his life during graduation and then.
Eric M. Eriksson (1922) earned his B.A., M.A., and PhD from the University of Iowa, finishing his career as a student in 1922. His dissertation was titled “The Establishment and Rise of the Washington Globe: A Phase of Jacksonian Politics.” Following graduation, Eriksson began his long career as a professor, teaching for stints at Lombard College, Iowa State Teachers College, University of Iowa, Coe College, and finally the University of Southern California. He was an avid writer, having several articles published by a variety of history journals as well as writing for a variety of newspapers throughout his lifetime. In 1938, his high school, called Odebolt High School, published a “Fifty Years of Progress” article, in which Eriksson’s accomplishments were featured. Eriksson passed away in California in 1941
Sceva Laughlin (1921)earned his PhD from the University of Iowa in 1921 with his dissertation, later turned book, “Missouri Politics During the Civil War.” Laughlin had a long career teaching, learning, and writing History. He started his career as a principal for the Pleasant Plain Academy in 1906. He taught in a variety of school districts leading up to his time at University of Iowa, even serving as the head of the History and Social Studies department at Park College in Parkville, Missouri until 1923. In 1923, Laughlin took a position at Willamette University where he was a professor of economics and sociology, then a professor of sociology and anthropology until 1946. During his career, Laughlin authored three books, Missouri Politics During the Civil War, Will the American Farmer Become a Peasant, and A Handbook for Thesis Writing, along with many journal articles and reviews. Laughlin passed away August 15, 1947 at his home in Salem, Oregon.
Soren J. Fogdall (1921) earned his PhD from the University of Iowa in 1921 with a dissertation, later turned book, “History of Danish-American Diplomacy, 1776-1920.” Fogdall, from Denmark himself, was interested in studying the settlement of Danish people in Iowa. He immigrated to the United States with his parents sometime after his birth in 1879, and before his marriage to Louise Svendsen in 1910. Fogdall passed away in Clarks Grove, Minnesota on June 13, 1947.
Hilda G. Lundin (1919)earned her PhD from University of Iowa in 1919 with a dissertation, later turned book, “The Influence of Jeremy Bentham on English Democratic Development.” Not much is known of Lundin following her graduation. She passed away February 17, 1940 in Bellevue, Iowa. December 6, 1960, the Bellevue Herald-Leader published that upon her death, Lundin donated money to the city to be used for the purchase of books. The last of the money was used to buy a new set of Compton’s Encyclopedia.
Ruth A. Gallaher (1918) earned her PhD from the University of Iowa in 1918 with a dissertation entitled, “Legal and Political Status of Women in Iowa.” While completing her PhD, Gallaher worked for the State Historical Society of Iowa (SHSI) as a part-time research librarian. She was promoted to library associate in 1918. Although she was excluded from faculty positions at colleges and universities early in her career due to being a woman, Gallaher is remembered as one of the most productive scholars associated with the SHSI. In 1930, Gallaher became associate editor of the Iowa Journal of History and Politics (IJHP); from 1945 to 1948 she edited both the IJHP and the society’s history magazine, The Palimpsest. Gallaher also played an essential role in creating the State University of Iowa (University of Iowa) Archives, where she served as university archivist from 1931 to 1944, where she received university clerical and student assistance in lieu of a salary. In 1948, Gallaher accepted a faculty position at Asbury College in Kentucky, where she taught until 1950. Her published works include scores of articles on Iowa history and politics, serving as an editor of and collaborator on several books published by the SHSI, including Iowa: A Guide to the Hawkeye State (1938) (for which she was not formally credited) and Stories of Iowa for Boys and Girls (1929) with Bruce Mahan. She retired to California, where she died in Los Angeles at the age of 82.
Myrna M. Boyce (1918) earned her PhD from the University of Iowa in 1918 with a dissertation entitled, “The Diplomatic Relations of England with the Quadruple Alliance, 1815-1830.” Several years after her graduation, Boyce published an article in the Journal of Modern History, “The Diplomatic Career of William Short.” The article focuses on the career of William Short in the the American Revolution. Based on the two publications, it appears that Boyce took an interest in diplomatic history during her time at Iowa and beyond. Not much of Boyce is known past her 1943 article on William Short. She passed away in 1967 in Denver, Colorado.
Raymond H. Durboraw (1915) earned his PhD from the University of Iowa in 1915 with his dissertation titled, “The Treaty-making Power Under the Constitution as Interpreted by the House of Representatives.” After graduating, Durboraw moved to Moorhead, Minnesota where he worked as a History teacher in a Normal School. In 1918, Durboraw and his wife Ethel moved to New York City. He passed away at the age of 35, just three years after completing his PhD.
Frank H. Garver (1912) earned his Master’s and PhD from the University of Iowa in 1907 and 1912 respectively. During this time he finished his dissertation, “Reminiscences of John H. Charles,” which started as an article and eventually became a book. After graduating, Garver taught history in Dillion, Montana at the State Normal School. In 1926, he joined the University of Souther California’s history department where he taught until his retirement in 1945. During his time at USC, Garver served as the Chairman of the History Department for three years. Throughout his career as a historian, Garver published several articles for The Historian, The Mississippi Valley Historical Review, The Pacific Historical Review, and more. He is remembered for his work in early U.S. History, focusing on the Colonial and Revolutionary periods.