| History students have spent many hours attending lectures in MLB Auditorium 3. On Friday, May 1, 2009, the auditorium was the scene of celebration as graduating seniors and their families filled the room for the History Department Graduation Program honoring the Class of 2009. Nearly half of the 205 May and August graduates attended the event.
Department Chair, Professor Geoff Eley, welcomed the guests, emphasizing the role of a liberal arts education in keeping an open and active curiosity about the world. He introduced the speaker, alumnus Steven R. Kalt, who has seen not only the world, but important changes within the scope of history studies over time. He pointed out that when he was a student at the University in the 1960s, the study of African and African-American history was virtually non-existent. His passion for travel and deep immersion in different cultures led him to study and visit 130 countries, particularly Africa. In 2001, he established the Kalt Fund for African-American and African History to provide important resources for History department activities, students, and scholars.
The rest of the day was devoted to recognizing the graduating seniors. Special recognition was give to the student editors who keep the Michigan Journal of History alive and well (Jenny Armstrong, Editor-in-Chief; Diane Hunt and Bryan Klausmeyer, Co-Editors). Professors Val Kivelson and Dario Gaggio took turns calling each graduate to the stage for a big round of applause and photo op to commemorate their academic accomplishments.
The faculty and staff of the History Department join the families and friends in extending congratulations and best wishes for the future to each new historian in the Class of 2009.
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