HAW at the AHA
January 5-8, 2006 in Philadelphia

Nominations for Historians Against the War Steering Committee/2006

Each year at its annual meeting at the AHA, HAW elects its Steering Committee. Our business meeting is Saturday, January 7, 2:45 to 3:45 in the Courtyard Philadelphia Downtown, Grand Ballroom Salon 2, 1st floor (see HAW at the AHA for more information). This year, for the first time, members of HAW who will be unable to attend the annual meeting in Philadelphia can cast proxy ballots. We have a slate of twenty-five nominees for twenty steering committee slots; their names and biographical information are listed below. Please look the candidates over and cast your ballot by January 4, 2006 by email to proxy@historiansagainstwar.org.

Ben Alpers
David Applebaum
Christian Appy
Marc Becker
David Beito
John Cox
Alan Dawley
Sara Dougherty
Rusti Eisenberg
Jerise Fogel
Marvin Gettleman
Van Gosse
John Mason Hart
Walter Hixson
Jeffrey Kerr-Ritchie
Nicole Kief
Staughton Lynd
Richard MacMaster
Michael Meo
Carl Mirra
Jim O'Brien
Enrique Ochoa
Margaret Power
Andor Skotnes
Kathy Sukites

Biographies

Name: Ben Alpers
Institution: University of Oklahoma
Position: Associate Professor
Historial Specialization: 20th-century U.S.
Race/Ethnicity: Ashkenazic
Political Background: Growing up in Berkeley during the 1960s and 1970s was itself a political education. I have been politically active since high school. In graduate school, I founded a committee to explore graduate student unionization, worked in abortion clinic defense, and helped organize the local movement opposing the first Gulf War. More recently, I have served on the board of Common Cause Oklahoma, and was state co-chair of the Green Party of Oklahoma. I currently serve on the Peace Action Committee of the Green Party of the United States.
Reason for Running: I have been involved in HAW since its founding in January 2003. I have enjoyed working with the Steering Committee and hope to continue to do so. Along with Margaret Power, I have been Co-Chair of the HAW Steering Committee during 2006.

Name: David R. Applebaum
Institution: Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ.
Position: Professor
Historical Specialization: Contemporary France. I am immersed in the history of the syndicat de la magistrature - an independent labor union of judges founded in June of 1968.
Race/Ethnicity: Human with European threads.
Political Background: My forty-two years of engagement began with the Free Speech Movement at Brooklyn College (dress codes/loyalty oaths). While in Madison (1967-73) I was active in antiwar, civil rights and unionization efforts (TAA). Since coming to the Delaware Valley in 1973, I have been active in the AFT, the regional MARHO, and community activism.
Reason for Running: I would like to continue focusing on work related to two aspects of HAW activity; academic freedom and engagement with high school educators at the local and national levels. In addition, I hope to continue building bridges between HAW and Educators to Stop the War and the Working Group in Defense of Academic Freedom.

Name: Christian Appy
Nominator (if other than the nominee): Laura Lovett
Institution: UMass, Amherst
Position: Assoc Professor
Historical Specialization: U.S. Vietnam War
Race/Ethnicity:
Political Background:
Reason for Running: Appy's work on the historical overlaps between Vietnam and Iraq make him an important historical critic on this topic.

Name: Marc Becker
Institution: Truman State University
Position: Associate Professor of History
Historical Specialization: Modern Latin American history
Race/Ethnicity: Platt Deutsch (Low German)
Political Background: My political consciousness was born (as Rigoberta Menchu would say) in 1980 with the Carter Doctrine which reinstated draft registration in reaction to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Unfortunately, I was 18 at the time, and coming to the realization that I did not want to be used as a pawn for someone else's foreign policy objectives led me to rethink completely my ideology. I subsequently worked extensively with Central American solidarity groups, including a stint with Witness for Peace in Nicaragua. More recently, I have worked with Indigenous rights movements in the Americas and am a founder of NativeWeb, the premier Internet site on Indigenous issues. Politically I identify myself as a socialist in the tradition of José Carlos Mariátegui, although I am not a member of any party. I am motivated by a desire for social justice, and am a pacifist.
Reason for Running: I have been involved with HAW since its founding at the AHA in January 2003. My motivation for joining HAW was to challenge imperialistic policies that run counter to our interests. I have worked on HAW's web page and am interested and willing to continue in that capacity.

Name: David T. Beito
Institution: University of Alabama
Position: Associate Professor
Historical Specialization: U.S. History, especially black and social
history.
Race/Ethnicity: White
Political Background: libertarian
Reason for Running: My goal is to increase HAW's outreach to conservative and libertarian antiwar historians. This war will never be stopped unless those who oppose it who take aggressive steps to build a left/right antiwar coalition. My antiwar credentials are longstanding. I have opposed U.S. involvement in the Iraq war from the beginning and have tried to carry this message to conservatives and libertarians. This was one of the reasons why I founded Liberty and Power (www.libertyandpower.com), a group blog at the History News Network. Most of our members are antiwar libertarians but we also have conservative readers.

Name: John Cox
Institution: UNC-Chapel Hill
Position: Visiting professor
Historical Specialization: Modern Europe/Germany
Race/Ethnicity: European, I guess (Irish, German, etc.)
Political Background: I've been active in antiwar and other progressive causes for many years. Most recently, I've been active in HAW, and served on the steering committee over the last year, and I am active in my local antiwar organization. In the past I've been involved in pro-choice and anti-racist activity as well as working for a few years as a labor organizer.
Reason for Running: I'd like to continue to promote HAW's efforts to generate antiwar sentiment and activism among academics (as well as to draw us closer to non-academic antiwar/potential antiwar forces). Whether or not I'm re-elected I'll look forward to contributing to HAW's work. I would not be disappointed if I found myself off the steering cmte. in the interest of greater diversity.

Name: Alan Dawley
Institution: The College of New Jerrsey
Position: Professor of History
Historical Specialization: U.S. in 20th c. world history; the social history of U.S. empire; labor; progressivism
Race/Ethnicity: Euro-American
Political Background: I identify (not uncritically) with the progressive tradition in American politics and embrace a form of progressive internationalism that is anti-imperialist, not just anti-war. From early days in the Mississippi civil rights movement, I have participated in a succession of social movements for ecnomic justice and a just foreign policy.
Reason for Running: I would like to continue in leadership because I believe HAW has demonstrated its effectiveness in galvanizing opposition among historians to America's imperial misadventure in Iraq and in defending democratic practices against encroachment by Washington authorities. I have played a role in drafting HAW's position statements, moving "free speech" resolutions through OAH and AHA, and orgznizing the first HAW conference, and I would like to help further work along these and other lines.

Name: Sara Dougherty
Institution: University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
Position: Graduate Student, 3rd year
Historical Specialization: U.S. cultural and military history, Cold War in East Asia,History of Warfare
Race/Ethnicity: Let's say I am a member of no ethnic minority group.
Political Background: Registered Democrat, lifelong opponent of wars of choice and military bullying
Reason for Running: I keep getting these emails about it from HAW, a circumstance which suggests a dearth of nominees. I would have offered my services before now, but I have been on a course of chemotherapy for the last 4 months and my brain is somewhat fried. (This condition will be temporary, I trust.) If a harried 51-year-old grad student who is recovering from cancer can be of assistance to this organization, I would be delighted to be considered for appointment to the committee.

Name: Carolyn "Rusti" Eisenberg
Institution: Hofstra University
Ethnicity: White
Historical Specialization: 20th Century US Foreign Policy, author of Drawing the Line: The American Decision to Divide Germany, 1944-49
Position: Professor of History
Political Background: Antiwar activist, 1965-present. Member of Iraq Working Group, United for Peace and Justice, Co-Chair Brooklyn Parents for Peace
Reason for running: "I am interested in encouraging historians to engage issues of war and peace, and to give greater emphasis to America's global role in scholarship and teaching." Rusti has been a steering committee member since HAW's beginning and has drafted statements and appeared on HAW panels among other activities.

Name: Jerise Fogel
Institution: Marshall University (Huntington, WV) (until May 2006)
Position: Associate Prof., Classics
Historical Specialization: Ancient Roman, Greek
Race/Ethnicity: White/European/Jewish
Political Background: I have worked as a volunteer in the past as co-organizer of protests against detention and for immigrant rights in NYC. Within the profession, I have been a member on the Executive Committees for several years of Lambda Classical Caucus and the Women's Classical Caucus.
Reason for Running: I feel that HAW does some of the most important work in the academic community for historians across the US, and takes important stands. My previous activism has often focused on raising awareness of groups about peace and immigration issues, and I would like to remain on the SC of HAW in order to promote this further. Since I will be moving to NYC in June 2006, I hope to have a somewhat expanded range of immigration and other groups to link with HAW's work in future.

Name: Marvin Gettleman
Position: Emeritus Professor, Brooklyn Polytechnic University; member Editorial Board, Science & Society
Historical Specialization: You name it, I wrote books or articles about it: Indochina, Central America, ante-bellum U.S.,
development of U.S. social science and social work, the "Great Society," the U.S. Communist Party's educational work,the Spanish Civil
War, the Middle East, Islam and U.S. foreign
policy
Race/Ethnicity: secular Jewish boy originally from the Bronx, New York City
Political Background: no red-diaper baby; once a "New York Post Liberal" (when the Post was a newspaper); drawn into the civil
rights and disarmament movements in the 1950s; radicalized by the Cuban Revolution; served in the Vietnam era anti-war movement; diehard member of New American Movement who refused to merge with DSA; active in all four phases of the Socialist Scholars Conference/Left Forum; HAW since 2004
Reason for Running: to continue work on publications in HAW's resource committee, to serve as New York City liasion with UFPJ headquarters & to bring HAW perspectives to high school teachers

NAME: Van Gosse
INSTITUTION: Franklin and Marshall College
RACE/ETHNICITY: White
HISTORICAL SPECIALIZATION: 20th Century U.S., African American
POSITION (describe what you do): Assistant Professor
POLITICAL BACKGROUND: Antiwar and electoral activism, 1969-76 (the usual); El Salvador solidarity, 1982-1995 (CISPES and related organizations); Peace Action's Organizing Director, 1995-2000. Active in United for Peace and Justice since its founding, elected to Steering Committee and then Administrative Committee representing HAW. Also a non-functioning member of the National Coordinating Committee and the National Executive Committee of the Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism. Member of the Editorial Collective of the Radical History Review since 1990, chair 1994-2001. Helped found HAW in run-up to the war.
REASON FOR RUNNING (one paragraph please): To support HAW’s consolidation within the historical profession and the antiwar movement, in particular through enhanced fundraising so we have the resources to generate a higher public profile.

Name: John Mason Hart
Position: Professor of History
Institution: University of Houston
Race/ethnicity: Caucasian
Political Background: Left Independent
Reason for Running: Intense opposition to this war and other American attacks on Third World countries.

Name: Walter L. Hixson
Position: Professor of History
Institution: University of Akron
Historical Specialization: specialist in US foreign policy
Race/Ethnicity: White male
Reason for Running: Having spent some thirty years analyzing US foreign policy, I have some knowledge as to why this nation acts as it does in world affairs. If we can better understand core drives and motivations, we have a basis to attempt to change the foreign policy from one of violent intervention toward a diplomacy of cooperative internationalism so desperately needed in the 21st century.

Name: Jeffrey Kerr-Ritchie
Nominator (if other than the nominee): Ashraf H. A. Rushdy, Wesleyan University
Institution: University of North Carolina, Greensboro
Position: Adjunct Associate Professor
Historical Specialization: Slavery, Abolition, Post-Emancipation in the Atlantic World
Race/Ethnicity: biracial (Eygptian / English)
Political Background: Socialist
Reason for Running: Jeffrey has been opposed to this war from before the attack on Iraq and feels that organization is needed to exert the sort of public pressure that will bring this illegal war to an end. He deeply believes in politics by and for the people.

Name: Nicole Kief
Institution: Open Society Institute/New York University
Position: Staff, The After Prison Initiative/Graduate Student, American Studies
Specialization: issues of incarceration and punitiveness, historical approaches to social movements/grassroots organizing, philanthropy
Ethnicity: white/Jewish
Political background: Environmental justice and labor organizing, anti-prison and anti-war activism
Reasons for nomination: As a staff member at a progressive international foundation, I am familiar with the world of social change philanthropy, and am eager to continue my work with HAW's fundraising committee (begun this past year). In addition, I am a part-time graduate student in American Studies at NYU, and hope to bring a new generation of politically engaged scholars into HAW's work.

Name: Staughton Lynd
Institution: Worker's Solidarity Club of Youngstown
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Historical Specialization: Period of American Revolution, history of nonviolence, oral history and US Labor history
Position: retired (but still practicing) attorney. Author of several books, including Lucasville.
Political Background: An unaffiliated Marxist and Quaker; Chairperson of the first march against the Vietnam War in Washington, DC in April 1965. In December 1965, Lynd, then a professor of history at Yale, made a controversial trip to North Vietnam with Tom Hayden and the late Herbert Aptheker.
Reason for running: continue work on veterans issues; member of HAW-SC since its inception

Name: Richard K. MacMaster
Institution: University of Florida
Position: retired
Historical Specialization: Colonial America
Race/Ethnicity: Scotch-Irish, British
Political Background: Registered Republican since 1956, dissatisfied with both parties on foreign policy almost as long.
Reason for Running: To add to the number and geographical spread of your pool of potential SC candidates. I have been enthused about HAW since you began and would be happy to be more active. In 1990-91 I made some efforts to get an HAW organized, but the speed of events and my very limited organizational skills left us without any such organization at that time. I've been very active in anti-sanctions and anti-war groups since that time. Locally I was one of the original members of the Community Coalition Against War and Terrorism formed in September 2001 and active since then here in Gainesville, FL and one of the steering committee of the Gainesville Interfaith Center for Peace and Justice.

Name: Michael Meo
Institution: Benson Polytechnic High School, Portland OR 97232
Position: teacher and chair, math department
Historical Specialization: translated, Karl Marx's Mathematical Manuscripts; published research in history of group theory
Race/Ethnicity: decline to state race
Political Background: card-carrying member, Pacific Green party
Reason for Running: My main reason for running for a steering-committee position is my wish to do what I can where I am to end the war in Iraq. As a student in the 60s I was active in the anti-war movement, eventually serving two years in federal penitentiary. Now, with a different war, and occupying a diferent position in society, I bring experience and commitment to the drive for nonviolent resolution of international differences.

Name: Carl Mirra
Institution: SUNY College at Old Westbury
Position: Assistant Professor of American Studies
Historical Specialization: 20th Century US foreign policy and Peace Education
Ethnicity: white male
Political Background: Former marine who refused to fight in the first Gulf War, worked with the War Resister's League and currently a representative of IAUP/UN Commission on Disarmament Education, Conflict Resolution and Peace.
Reason for Running: work toward ending US occupation of Iraq and on the dangers of empire at home and abroad; continue developing conferences/pamphlets on veteran antiwar activity.

Name: Jim O'Brien
Institution: University of Massachusetts Boston
Position: Lecturer (half-time)
Historical Specialization: recent U.S.
Race/Ethnicity: white (mostly English ancestry)
Political Background: Active in 1960s student movement; worked at New England Free Press (print shop and radical pamphlet publisher) in 1970s; active in Central America movement 1983-96
Reason for Running: I've been on the Steering Committee for the past year and it feels as if I've been able to play a useful role.

Name: Enrique C. Ochoa
Institution: California State University, Los Angeles
Position: Professor of History
Historical Specialization: Latin America; Mexico; Latinas/os in the U.S.; Economic and Labor Race/Ethnicity: Latino
Political Background: I have been involved in community organizations that have worked at the grassroots for social change. In particular I have worked to facilitate dialogue between community activists and progressive academics, coordinating several workshops and conferences that have sought to bridge the gulf.
Reason for Running: It is important to continue and expand the work that HAW has done given the current political reality. I want to help develop greater participation by left historians on the west coast.

Name: Margaret Power
Institution: Illinois Institute of Technology
Position:
Historical Specialization: Latin America, gender, and women
Race/Ethnicity: whire (but part Irish, colonized by the nasty British.)
Political Background: active in anti-war movements (Viet Nam, Central America, and Middle East) since 1970s. Also very active in women's movement and feminist actions. Currently in Peace Pledge Chicago and Prairie Fire. Work very closely with the Puerto Rican community and with HAW.
Reason for Running: I want to work with other historians against the war and I think HAW is a great group.

Name: Andor Skotnes
Institution: The Sage Colleges
Ethnicity: white, South African immigrant
Historical Specialization: 20th century US social movements
Position: Associate Professor of the History of the Americas
Political Background: Involved in Western (California) support wing of the Civil Rights Movement in 1965; involved with SDS, antiwar movement, other movements of the 1960s and 1970s; involved in Radical History Review Collective; Scholars Writers and Artists for Social Justice
Reason for Running: served admirably as HAW's co-chair, sees "enormous potential to bring historians, historically oriented social scientists, history and social studies teachers, and historically minded activists into the new antiwar/anti-imperialist movement and to make a unique contribution to that movement.

NAME: Kathryn (Kathy) Sukites
INSTITUTION: American University, Washington DC
POSITION: PhD Student
HISTORICAL SPECIALIZATION: Journalism History/ Popular Culture/ Working-Class History
RACE/ETHNICITY: White
POLITICAL BACKGROUND: I initially became involved in politics through official organizations of the Democrats in the 1980s. I later attended peace workshops, worked with the board of the local Sierra Club group, and served as a delegate for my union in the DC Labor Council. Over time, I came to define myself more as a Progressive, and increased my awareness and understanding of global economic and social issues. This past year, I was a member of HAW's Steering Committee.
REASONS FOR RUNNING: I came to HAW in order to help with fundraising and to find ways to increase interaction with the general public, other historians, and activists. Over the past year, I researched appropriate Foundation sources for HAW, helped to increase public awareness of HAW's recent work on the history of U.S. involvement in torture, actively participated in Steering Committee meetings/decisions/etc., and began to serve as Secretary in order to help improve communication within HAW. As many more voices continue to oppose the war at this critical time period, I hope to continue to strengthen the role of Historians Against the War.