2008 Humanities Forum Topics and Presenters

Special Between Fences topics are marked with **

Follow these links to descriptions of presenter topics, biographies and contact information.

Francis, Melanie
Holt, Philip
Humstone, Mary
Kelley, Chavawn
Knight, Dennis
Ludwig, Dorene
Molvar, Erik
Muñoz, Ed
Myers, Rex
Olah, Judit
Olsen, L'Dawn
Rea, Tom
Ross, Linda
Swanson, Lynne
Ward, Seth

MELANIE FRANCIS
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** Wet and Dry Wyoming: How Prohibition Split the Equality State
This illustrated presentation explores Wyoming’s Prohibition years and the astonishing impact of women on Wyoming politics. Female temperance advocates crossed words and social boundaries in their fight for Prohibition against businessmen, saloon owners and drinkers. Dry Democrats under the leadership of Governor Nellie Tayloe Ross sparred with Wet Republicans whose revenues suffered under Prohibition. The running battle between law enforcement and bootleggers bred corruption and controversy that lasted until Prohibition’s repeal in 1933.

About the Presenter. Melanie Francis, Laramie, teaches English and Humanities at the Albany County branch of Laramie County Community College. She lectures frequently on Wyoming women and Wyoming architecture. Her master’s degree in English and Women’s Studies was awarded by the University of Wyoming.

Contact: Melanie Francis, Laramie, (307) 745-3703, mfrancis@wyoming.com.

PHILIP HOLT
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Soldiering and Citizenship: Greece, Rome and America
Is military service a regular part of being a citizen, or is it left to professionals or even to outsiders? Is warfare everybody’s business, or does it involve only a few? These questions have important implications for the nature of citizenship, the role of the military in society, and a nation’s decisions to go to war. Philip Holt discusses how these issues played out in two ancient societies, and in our own.

Sue Thy Neighbor: Life and Litigation in Classical Athens
The sport of suing your neighbor flourished in the world’s first democracy just as it does in America today. Philip Holt explores the rough-and-tumble courts of ancient Athens, where citizens filed their own charges, found their own witnesses and recruited orators to argue their case with fiery speeches and personal attacks. His presentation highlights both similarities and contrasts to American justice, based on law and individual rights, and the Athenian system of amateur citizens charged with upholding the common good.

About the presenter. Philip Holt teaches Greek, Latin, and classical civilization at the University of Wyoming, where he is also chair of the Department of Modern and Classical Languages. Since 2000, he has directed the annual Summer Classics Institute sponsored by the Wyoming Humanities Council. Holt received his PhD in Classics from Stanford University.

Contact: Philip Holt, Laramie, (307) 766-3001, pholt@uwyo.edu.

MARY HUMSTONE
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Beyond Classrooms: Historic Schools as Symbols of Community
Wyoming schools often double as community centers that reinforce local values and a sense of place. Using images of historic schools around the state, Mary Humstone explores the fate of older school buildings under recently-enacted school facilities laws. What role do schools play in building community identity? And how are towns affected when older schools are closed, or replaced by smaller structures with limited meeting space?

About the presenter. Mary Humstone is a research scientist in the University of Wyoming American Studies Program. She is a national authority on rural architecture and helped to found a national barn preservation program called Barn Again! She directed a major research project last year on Wyoming’s historic school buildings, that raised awareness about the need to consider historic and cultural values in decisions affecting the fate of Wyoming’s school buildings.

Contact: Mary Humstone, Laramie, (307) 766-3898, humstone@uwyo.edu

CHAVAWN KELLEY
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Sharp Nose: A Photographic History of the Last Northern Arapaho Chief
Sharp Nose rose to prominence as a Plains military leader in the 1860s and died on the Wind River Reservation in 1901 as the “last Northern Arapaho Chief.” Using rare photographs, Chavawn Kelley examines Sharp Nose in all his complexity as a warrior who later scouted for the U.S. Army and as a devoted father and tribal leader during a time of sweeping change. Each photograph captures an episode in Sharp Nose’s life, highlighting challenges facing the Northern Arapaho people. The program also looks at the role of photography in public and family history.

About the Presenter. Chavawn Kelley lives in Laramie, where she received a master’s degree in American Studies from the University of Wyoming. She is a public relations specialist at Western Research Institute and the recipient of two prestigious writing awards from the Wyoming Arts Council.

Contact: Chavawn Kelley, Laramie, (307) 721-2367, ckelley@uwyo.edu.

DENNIS KNIGHT
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** Boundaries Without Fences: An Aerial View of the Wyoming Landscape
Boundaries without fences that are visible from space have been created by federal, state and private entities with different management objectives. How do these borders affect wildlife and other natural resources? Are such geometric landscape patterns permanent? Is there a reason to be concerned? Ecologist Dennis Knight will consider such questions while discussing the impacts of borders on sustainable land management. His program is illustrated with aerial photographs and satellite images of Wyoming and the Rockies.

About the presenter. Dennis Knight is professor emeritus of botany and ecology at the University of Wyoming. For 35 years his research entailed extensive study of Wyoming landscapes. He holds a PhD from the University of Wisconsin and has authored dozens of papers on the ecology of Wyoming, including Mountains and Plains: The Ecology of Wyoming Landscapes.

Contact: Dennis Knight, Laramie, (307) 742-0078, dhknight@uwyo.edu.

DORENE LUDWIG
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A History of Women in the Service of America
Throughout American history, women patriots have fought on the front lines here and abroad to defend their homeland. More than 400 women fought in the Civil War, disguised as men; thousands in uniform gave their lives from the Revolution through World War II, Vietnam and Operation Iraqi Freedom. In this first-person presentation, Dorene Ludwig portrays remarkable women, in uniform and out, who overcame discrimination, custom, policy and law in order to serve their nation with honor. Ludwig’s program raises questions about how we understand women’s roles in society, especially in the controversial arena of combat.

Across the Great Divide: How Women Made the West
Across the nineteenth-century West, women of varied backgrounds poured their hearts into families, their spirits into towns, and their energy and hard work into the land. Dorene Ludwig offers first-person vignettes of early western schoolteachers, physicians, artists, homemakers, missionaries, ranchers, and scouts-all of them female.

Hemmed In: Work-Life Patterns of American Women
A woman’s workday, whether inside or outside the home, is inevitably followed by a “second shift” of housework and caring for children, spouses and aging relatives. Dorene Ludwig presents an overview of working women in America from colonial printers and whipmakers through the industrialization of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Her characterizations of working women from the sweatshops to the corporate cubicle raise thought-provoking questions about how society values women’s work, today and yesterday.

About the presenter. Dorene Ludwig is the artistic director and president of the American Living History Theater in Greybull. She has appeared in her various one-woman productions coast to coast. The National Park Service, NASA, the U.S. Army and UCLA all have employed her as a trainer and consultant.

Contact: Dorene Ludwig, Greybull, (307) 765-9449, ludwigunlimited@hotmail.com.

ERIK M. MOLVAR
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** Don’t Fence Me Out: Wilderness and Public Lands in Wyoming
Since the creation of Yellowstone National Park in 1872, Wyoming has stayed at the forefront of debate on how to balance preservation and development on the West’s vast public lands. Erik Molvar presents a photographic tour of Wyoming’s wild places as he describes key moments in the evolution of our land management policies. Highlights include the efforts of Wyoming residents Olaus and Mardy Murie in pioneering wilderness protections, how the Wind River tribes created the first tribal wilderness area on reservation land and the controversial origins of Teton National Park. The presentation concludes with a discussion of some of the areas currently under consideration for wilderness status, and a clarification of the types of activities, including grazing, allowed in wilderness areas.

About the presenter. Erik M. Molvar is a wildlife biologist, author and professional photographer who has worked on public land issues in Wyoming for the past six years. He directs the Laramie-based Biodiversity Conservation Alliance. Molvar earned wildlife biology and wildlife management degrees from the University of Montana and University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Contact: Erik Molvar, (307) 742-7978, erik@voiceforthewild.org.

ED A. MUÑOZ
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** Crossing Borders: The History of Immigration Policy and Its Impact on Wyoming
Many arguments today for immigration reform have roots in the United States’ long history of settlement and nation-building. Ed Muñoz offers an overview of American opposition to immigration starting with Quaker resistance to Scotch-Irish workers in the 1700s and the “nativist” movements of the early 1900s. In the 20th century and in relation to Mexican immigration, reform efforts waxed and waned as the U.S. alternately encouraged and discouraged the entry of Mexican laborers. Muñoz looks at how Mexican migrants and immigrants have contributed to the development of Wyoming, and considers the implications for the state of various immigration reform proposals.

About the presenter. Ed A. Muñoz is an assistant professor in the Criminal Justice Department and the director of the Chicano Studies Program at the University of Wyoming. His research explores the Latino experience in rural and frontier settings and deals mainly with issues of social context, criminal justice and substance use. He is a native of the Wyo-braska area and earned his MA and PhD in sociology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Contact: Ed A. Muñoz, Laramie, (307) 766-4120, emunoz@uwyo.edu.

REX MYERS
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** Fences Make Good Neighbors: My Property vs. Your Property
From the ornate to the practical, fences have reinforced ideas about personal property for much of human history. In this presentation, slides of different types of walls and fences will encourage discussion of how we choose to delineate our property and how such barriers affect our relationships with our neighbors.

About the presenter. Rex C. Myers teaches history at Northwest College in Powell.

Contact: Rex C. Myers, Powell, (307) 754-6172, rex.myers@northwestcollege.edu.

JUDIT OLAH
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** Two Sides to Every Fence: Opposing Perspectives in Wyoming History
Archivist Judit Olah uses two examples from Wyoming history to illustrate how historical records offer insight into the thoughts, feelings and motivations of conflicting interest groups. American Heritage Center records from the Heart Mountain relocation camp help us contrast the perspectives of Japanese American citizens inside the fence with those of local officials and neighbors on the outside. Likewise, primary sources illuminate the conflict between the Wind River Reservation tribes and Amoco that resulted in the company’s payment of back royalties. In each case, historical records allow us to look at both sides of the fence and to develop comprehensive interpretations of the past.

About the presenter. Judit Olah is the curator for the Alan K. Simpson Institute for Western Politics and Leadership at the American Heritage Center in Laramie. She has also managed the archives for A.A. World Services and taught archival management at Queens College. Her PhD was awarded by Rutgers University.

Contact: Judit Olah, Laramie, (307) 766-2557, jolah@uwyo.edu.

L'DAWN OLSEN
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** In the Good Way: Understanding Indian Life Today-
Societal marginalization of Indians makes it difficult for Americans to understand tribal peoples-who they are, what they value, and what concerns them. This presentation draws on history and language, especially the Shoshone concept of living "in the good way," to explore challenges and possibilities for a revitalization and greater understanding of Indian culture.

About the presenter. L'Dawn Olsen teaches English at Wind River Tribal College.

Contact: L'Dawn Olsen, Ethete, (307) 349-9777, lolsen@wrtribalcollege.com.

TOM REA
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** Ella Watson’s Fence: The Story Behind the Lynching of “Cattle Kate”
The six men who lynched Ella Watson in 1889 were furious about the wire fence she had erected on her Sweetwater valley claim. Historian Tom Rea takes Watson’s fence as a starting place to talk about changing land use patterns as more people moved onto Wyoming’s open range late in the 1800s. Watson’s murder underscored the tensions between cattlemen and homesteaders, custom and law. Rea also explores how sensational newspaper reports created a false portrait of Watson as “Cattle Kate,” a rustler and prostitute.

The Martin’s Cove Controversy: Public Land, Sacred Land?
Bad weather, bad planning and their own zeal killed about 150 members of the Martin Handcart Company as they trekked across Wyoming in 1856. Today, the spot on the Oregon Trail near Casper where some of these Mormon pioneers died lies on BLM land—and at the center of a controversy over religious freedom and the right of public access. Writer Tom Rea explores the history of Martin’s Cove, using historical and contemporary photographs, and describes its later transformation into “holy ground” for the LDS Church. His presentation raises questions about who owns the past and how we preserve a balance between public and religious rights.

About the presenter. Tom Rea is a freelance writer and editor living in Casper. He received an MFA in creative writing from the University of Montana and has served as Writer-in-Residence for the Wyoming Arts Council. He is the author of several books about Wyoming, including Devil’s Gate: Owning the Land, Owning the Story, a history of Independence Rock, Devil’s Gate and Martin’s Cove.

Contact: Tom Rea, Casper, (307) 235-9021, trea@tribcsp.com.

LINDA ROSS
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Duty, Courage: A Woman's Perspective of Fort Phil Kearny
Margaret Carrington found herself in the midst of conflict when her husband established a fort in the heart of Powder River country in 1866. In this first-person presentation, Linda Ross draws on Carrington's journals to capture both sides of the tragic clash between soldiers sent to protect gold-seeking prospectors and Plains tribes defending their sacred ground.

Tragedy and Triumph: Women's Lives on the Great Plains
While many of the women who settled the Great Plains met with tragedy, many others defied the elements, the living conditions, and the isolation to thrive in the midst of hardship. Quotes from women's diaries, personal recollections, and the writings of Nebraska author Mari Sandoz describe how women coped in a harsh environment.

About the presenter. Linda Ross holds a PhD in English from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln and is retired from teaching at Sheridan College.

Contact: Linda Ross, Buffalo, (307) 684-2730, lross@vcn.com.

LYNNE SWANSON
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She’s Been Workin’ on the Railroad
When America entered World War II, thousands of women responded by moving out of the home and into the industrial workforce. In Wyoming, women became the timekeepers, engine washers, coal shovelers and machinists who kept the trains running for the war effort. Lynne Swanson presents a first-person characterization of Nellie Nielsen, a “Rosie the Riveter” still living today in Cheyenne. Her story illuminates the many changes and challenges for women of this era, as well as the long-term impact of the war on American society.

About the presenter. Lynne Swanson, Cheyenne, has portrayed Willa Cather, Mardy Murie and other American women since 1983. Her programs have been featured by the Wyoming Humanities Council, the Colorado Endowment for the Humanities and the Heartland Chautauqua. A retired librarian, she now devotes her time to researching western women.

Contact: Lynne Swanson, Cheyenne, (307) 632-1096, westeringwomen@yahoo.com.

SETH WARD
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Democracy and Religion in the Middle East
Historian Seth Ward examines the barriers to and opportunities for Middle Eastern democracy with particular attention to the influence of religious parties on recent elections. Stable, democratic societies are often portrayed as crucial to U.S. interests in the Middle East. Elections in Iraq, voting by women in Kuwait and challenges to entrenched politicians in Egypt and Palestine all mark democratic milestones. Yet the close relationship between political parties and religious factions creates a very different climate for democracy than what we know in the West. Historian Seth Ward examines the barriers to and opportunities for Middle Eastern democracy with particular attention to the influence of religious parties on recent elections.

** Israelis and Palestinians Between the Fences
Israel’s construction of a barrier fence has become a potent symbol of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Built to enhance security, the fence raises concerns about how to define political boundaries and the right to access fields, work and markets. In this presentation, historian Seth Ward uses maps and photos to create a snapshot of the current state of Israeli-Arab relations. His presentation incorporates the history of two other important fences—the “Good Fence” established in southern Lebanon in the 1980s and a religious wall erected in Jerusalem in 1929—to illustrate how the theme of divisions and barriers plays out in the Middle East.

Moses, Jesus and Muhammad: Prophetic Traditions in History and Scripture
The great religious traditions ascribed to Moses, Jesus and Muhammad shaped much of our world today. Seth Ward explores parallels from the lives of these three individuals, focusing on tensions between modern research and religious piety, and how religious ideas change over time. Links between the three traditions, such as the scriptural accounts of Abraham, are highlighted along with some profound differences. Ward’s presentation strives to balance critical inquiry with empathy, and to encourage respect for each tradition.

About the presenter. Seth Ward teaches Islamic history and religion at the University of Wyoming. He received his PhD in Near Eastern languages and literature from Yale University. Professor Ward also taught at the University of Denver, where he directed the Institute for Islamic-Judaic Studies.

Cotact: Seth Ward, Laramie, (303) 981-7561, sward@uwyo.edu.

2008 Humanities Forum Topics and Presenters

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