History

The aphorism "History does not repeat itself, but it rhymes"^* captures the beauty and intent of the discipline.

Not only do students of history mine stories of the past to uncover the workings of human societies, but also they use that knowledge to take on today’s world as critically engaged and analytically skilled citizens.

Drake’s History Department locates itself in this tradition. Students who study history at Drake can expect the following:

• Classes that grapple with challenging historical problems and that train students to read, write, and discuss historical evidence analytically
• Opportunities to develop a global and multicultural historical understanding
• The chance to work with approachable faculty who are active in their fields of expertise

Our department’s full-time faculty members are committed to providing you with exceptional learning experiences that combine historical analysis and skills acquisition with pre-professional training and career development.

^* Often attributed to nineteenth-century author Mark Twain, there is little evidence that the famous wordsmith uttered this aphorism. While Twain made comments similar to this view of history, according to The Dictionary of Modern Proverbs, the saying first appeared in print in 1970.