History Archives

Engaging Students with Important Questions: Studying the Lincoln-Douglas Debates

Class discussions about historical events can help students engage with important, timeless questions. Hillsdale College Associate Professor of Politics Kevin Portteus gives us an example based on the Lincoln-Douglas debates.

Spreading Joy Through Education

Soon after graduating, Rachel Basinger began teaching at Providence Classical School. Her path to becoming a teacher, however, was not a conventional one.

Constitutional History with Dr. Moreno

Dr. Paul Moreno, dean of social sciences and a professor in Hillsdale’s history department, is back from a five-year hiatus in Washington, D.C., where he worked at the College’s Kirby Center and taught, among other classes, Constitutional history.

History Is Always Relevant

When Joshua came to Hillsdale, he knew he wanted to be a Latin major. The history major came later when professors in the history department, especially Dr. Matthew Gaetano, encouraged him to continue to take history classes.

Iconoclasm and Tradition

Dr. Hart came to Hillsdale from Philadelphia and admittedly wondered about the small town with “no Macaroni Grill, Starbucks, or Restoration Hardware.” He has since come to appreciate Hillsdale.

From Student to Teacher

Few can offer as fascinating a perspective as Dr. Gaetano when it comes to what it means to be not only a Hillsdale professor but a student as well. An ’05 graduate, Dr. Gaetano said that he was introduced to “the life of the mind” by his professors when he was a student at the College. His journey on the search for truth led to a desire to help others along a similar path of learning.

The Carus Coin Collection

The history of money is complicated due to the fact that anything two people consider valuable might be considered money. When a community deems something of value, it will be traded for goods and services needed or wanted by the members of that community.

A Hillsdalian in Virginia

Rather than attending a cheery parade complete with firetrucks, mini American flags, and lollipops, junior history major Hailey Morgan spent her Memorial Day last summer working at a luminary event for a national cemetery.

Four Years of Laughter and Learning

When asked about her past three years at Hillsdale College, Katie Summa reflects, “Hillsdale made me a whole person.”

Dr. David Stewart in front of bookshelves.

Dr. David Stewart, Professor of History

The most striking feature of Dr. Stewart’s office is how full it is. From the floor to the ceiling, books fill the many-tiered shelves. Biographies, textbooks, and all things history decorate the professor’s workspace, interrupted only by the presence of one golden couch which sits opposite from Dr. Stewart’s chair. The atmosphere Stewart has created makes students feel invited and relaxed, while simultaneously putting them in the mindset of the professor’s passion and chosen craft: history.

Benjamin Holscher

Benjamin Holscher is a senior from Hobart, NY, studying history and business administration. Ben is the founder and director of the non-profit organization A Few Good Men, the president of the Hillsdale chapter of the Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership Honor Society, an RA at Koon Dorm, a volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters, a leader for the Intervarsity Hillsdale Christian Fellowship, and a student driver for speakers who come to Hillsdale’s campus.

Josiah Kollmeyer

Josiah started seriously considering Hillsdale after going on Dr. Whalen’s trip to England, “heaven on earth.” Seeing the level of learning expected from the students and being given the opportunity to wrestle with great questions convinced him that he needed to attend Hillsdale College. “As far as high school educations go, I got a decent one, but before that trip I had never tried to interact with great ideas like we do here—those sorts of questions I later learned are amazingly asked here all the time.”