Author: Clara Johnson

In case you missed the final CPH event of 2015 — “Hailing Columbia: Music and Politics in the Founding Era” — a video of the forum is now available.

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[vimeo 155562570]

This recording is the property of C-SPAN and may only be used for research and teaching purposes. It cannot be copied or reproduced for profit. © 2015

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The event featured Professor Kirsten Wood of Florida International University.  With the help of musicians from SMU Meadows School of the Arts, Dr. Wood provided attendees with an opportunity to listen to the music of the early republic and understand the political and metaphysical purposes behind the programming of such songs as “Hail Columbia,” “Jefferson and Liberty,” and “To Anacreon in Heaven,” better known today as the melody for “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Professor Wood discussed the many political purposes of music during the founding era of the United States, including its use as a tool of political manipulation, taunting of adversaries, and enjoyment during Independence celebrations.

The Center For Presidential History will be releasing two books in the near future: The Four Freedoms: FDR and the Evolution of An American Idea (Oxford University Press), and Faith in the New Millennium: The Future of Religion and American Politics. (Oxford University Press). CPH will be hosting a book release and signing at our final semester event on December 9. The event is open to the public and free to attend. Further details on the event and how to register can be found here.

The Center for Presidential History at Southern Methodist University invites applications for a two-year Postdoctoral Fellowship, to begin in September 2016. The successful candidate will couple their own research and publishing agenda with their contributions to the Center’s Collective Memory Project, a wide-ranging oral history of the George W. Bush Presidency.  Fellows receive a competitive salary and benefits, funds to support independent research, and are initially appointed for one year with expectation of renewal for a second year in residence. For more details on the position or to submit an application, please click here.

The CPH is pleased to announce that Dr. Thomas Knock has been appointed the Interim Director of the Center for Presidential History for the Fall 2015 semester. Dr. Knock is currently an Associate Professor of History and Altshuler Distinguished Teaching Professor of Foreign Relations at SMU. He has published several distinguished works, including his book To End All Wars: Woodrow Wilson and the Quest for a New World Order. His next book, The Life and Times of George McGovern (Princeton UP), will appear in February 2016. During his career, he has received SMU’s “M” Award (1998), Willis Tate Award (1995), and the Warren F. Kuehl Prize (1993) and the Godbey Series Author’s Award (1993). The CPH is looking forward to a great semester of partnership with Dr. Knock.

Evan D. McCormick joined the Center for Presidential History in August 2015. His research examines the history of U.S. – Latin American relations during the Cold War, with a focus on the intersection of U.S. development policies, Latin American democracy, and human rights.

Before joining CPH, Evan was a dissertation fellow at the Miller Center at the University of Virginia, and an Eisenhower/Roberts Fellow of the Eisenhower Institute at Gettysburg College. He was the recipient of the University of Virginia’s Albert Gallatin Graduate Research Fellowship and a junior fellow in the University of Virginia Society of Fellows.

Evan received his Ph.D. in history from the University of Virginia in 2015. His dissertation, “Beyond Revolution and Repression: U.S. Foreign Policy and Latin American Democracy, 1980-1989,” explored the history of U.S. efforts to promote democracy amidst Latin American civil conflicts during the Reagan years. Evan earned an M.A. in international relations from Yale University (2007) and a B.A. in international relations from Boston University (2003). Before returning to academia, he served as a policy analyst at the Department of Homeland Security where he specialized in U.S.-Latin American security issues.

The Center for Presidential History will be hosting several academic forums in the near future. All events are open to the public and free to attend. Forum topics range from the lives of presidents and first ladies to music and politics in the founding era. Make sure you don’t miss any upcoming CPH events by downloading a complete list of our 2015-2016 events here.