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Donald L. Miller, John Henry MacCracken Professor of History, will lead a two-day seminar 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. May 13-14 at Smithsonian Castle, on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., to kick off the Smithsonian Institution’s upcoming national World War II reunion.
Entitled “World War II, Step by Step,” the seminar will review the epic of the war – from the rise of the Nazis to the final battles – through the words of American soldiers, sailors, airmen, nurses, war correspondents, and innocent civilians caught in a war fought without mercy or letup. The program is offered through Campus on the Mall, The Smithsonian Associates’ continuing-education arm.
Miller’s seminar will precede the Smithsonian’s “Tribute to a Generation: National World War II Reunion,” a four-day event on Memorial Day weekend, May 27-30, on the National Mall, coinciding with the dedication of the National World War II Memorial (see http://www.folklife.si.edu/CFCH/WWII/WorldWarII.htm).
Lafayette students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents, and friends can attend Miller’s course at the reduced rate of $125 (regular price is $170). Callers must identify themselves as “associated with Lafayette College” and place their orders by phone (rather than online) by calling (202) 357-3030. For more information about the seminar, http://residentassociates.org/com/WWII.asp
“I’m so pleased that Don is able to lead our extraordinary session of World War II programs with his historical survey,” says David Pelizzari, Education and Cultural Programs, The Smithsonian Associates. “He’ll provide an authoritative, historical overview of World War II and we’re thrilled to have him at the front of this important programming effort.”
Miller, a leading expert in 20th century American history, is currently working on his sixth book, Bomber Boys, about members of the Eighth Air Force based in England during the Second World War.
Katherine Blair ’04 (Marco Island, Fla.), a double major in history and religion & politics, and Lauren Sheldon ’03 (Somerville, N.J.), an English major, assisted in the research for the book through Lafayette’s distinctive EXCEL Scholars program, in which students work closely with faculty on research while earning a stipend. Many of the more than 160 students who participate each year go on to publish papers in scholarly journals and/or present their research at conference.
The students gathered information through newspapers and magazines from the era and conduct phone and face-to-face interviews with members of the Eighth Air Force, based in England during the Second World War.
“This was a great opportunity,” says Blair. “I learned a lot about conducting basic research and how to differentiate good sources from bad ones. I also had a lot of personal contact with veterans who served during World War II. I learned a lot of valuable skills.”
Miller’s books have received critical acclaim and been nominated for almost every major national literary prize. His most recent book is The Story of World War II, a revised, expanded, and updated version of Henry Steele Commager’s classic book The Story of the Second World War.
Miller has been involved in numerous history-related television projects. Most recently, the PBS series “Chicago: City of the Century” premiered nationwide Jan. 13-15, 2003, based on Miller’s book City of the Century: The Epic of Chicago and the Making of America. Miller appeared in the program as an on-air scholar and played a key role as creative consultant in its development.
Miller’s Lewis Mumford, A Life (Weidenfeld & Nicholson, 1989), the first full-scale biography of Mumford, was named one of the notable books of the year by the editors of the New York Times Book Review. It was also nominated for the National Book Award, the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Bancroft Prize, the American Book Award, the John Hope Franklin Prize, and the Pen/Martha Allbrand Award for Nonfiction.
Miller has participated in the making of other PBS American Experience documentaries, including “Ulysses S. Grant,” “Abraham and Mary Lincoln: A House Divided,” and “America 1900.” He is also lead scholar and on-air host of A Biography of America, a video series and telecourse that aired on PBS stations throughout the country in 2000-01. The 26 half-hour programs cover the sweep of American history, from the pre-Columbian beginnings to the present.