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History and Political Science Department Faculty
Thomas Showalter
Email: tshowalt@warren-wilson.edu
Office: Jensen 311
Courses:
Yearly
His 121 Western Civilization: 1450 to 1815
His 122 Western Civilization: 1815 to the Present
His 131 United States History I
His 132 United States History II
Ens 205* An Environmental History of the United States
Every Other Year
His 330 The Rise of Imperial Russia
His 331 Modern Russian History
First Year Seminar “A History of the Southern Highlands”
* This course will soon be given an “His” rather than an “Ens” designation.
Background:
1962 - Graduated from Libertyville High School, Libertyville, Ill.
1966 - B.A. Degree from Maryville College, Maryville, Tenn.
1968 - Hired by Warren Wilson, full time, in the History/Pol. Sc. dept.
1969 - Received M.A.C.T degree* from University of Tennessee
1969 - 83 - I was Campus Fire Chief with a crew of student volunteers. Great responsibility, nice old truck & no pay.
1970 - Summer language study (Russian) at University of Indiana, Bloomington (6 weeks)
1972 - Acting as my own contractor, I bought land from the College, hired a carpenter and two students and over the Summer built a home for my family on College View Road.
All or part of my “free” summer time for the next fifteen years would be spent as a house builder/carpenter, earning the needed extra funds for a growing family.
1973 - Traveled to the USSR on a four week study tour conducted by The University of California, Berkeley
1975 - Awarded tenure at Warren Wilson
1977 - Attended an NEH Summer seminar on the Russian Novel; held at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville.
1977 - 82 - My first stint as Chairperson of the History-Political Science Department.
1981 - Attended a summer workshop on Soviet Literature conducted by Vanderbilt University, Nashville. (3 weeks)
1983 - Attended a summer workshop on Russian - Soviet Studies. This was held at Yale University, New Haven. (4 weeks)
1983 - 84 - I received a year long sabbatical. I enrolled in the Graduate School at Chapel Hill and took a year’s course-work in Russian and Soviet history along with a first year language course in Russian.
1994 - 95 - I received a “half” year sabbatical. During this “year”, I did the reading and preparation for a new course on American Environmental history. In the summer of ‘95 I went with a group of fellow Americans on a three week bike/camping trip through Northern Russia.
1996 - Served as acting Farm Manager for 11 days over the Christmas Holidays.
1997 - Attended a weekend Seminar on “The Geology of the Smokies” held at the Tremont Center, Nov. 14-16.
1998 - Joined the “Volunteers in the Park” program “adopting” the Boogerman Trail in the Smoky Mountain National Park.
2001 – Awarded a half-year Sabbatical. Did extensive reading for my Russian Literature course (Term I, 2001); did field work for a Hazel Creek study (Term IV, 2002)
2003 - Co-Led a World Wide Course to Southeast Alaska with Mark Brenner Spring of 2003
2005 - Repeat of the above World Wide Course.
2006 - Took on the added duty of being the Jensen Building Manager.
2007 - Added the “McGhee Springs” backcountry campsite to my volunteer work in the Smokies.
2008 - Co-Led a World Wide Course to China with Dong-ping Han
* Master of Arts for College Teaching, a two year Masters program
Interests:
Sandy, the High School Sweetheart I married in 1965; our three daughters and four grandchildren - I do the cooking for my family, plant a large garden each year, bicycle on the nearby Blue Ridge Parkway several times each week, do fly fishing, hiking and camping when I can and spend at least three weeks each July with my family in the Colorado Rockies.