Message from the Chair

I want to welcome you to our website. I hope you will spend a few minutes exploring the program and classes we offer, meeting our faculty, and considering a History major as an option for your studies at Drake.

Our goal as a History faculty is to train our students with the skills of historical literacy. Grappling with multiple sources, voices, and interpretations and practicing using written and oral arguments enable our students to understand better the workings of human societies and to apply that understanding to their lives in today’s world. Such training has enabled our recent graduates to engage with the world in a variety of fields. In recent years, Drake University history majors have gained admission to pursue advanced graduate and law degrees at Harvard, Georgetown, Baylor, Michigan, Connecticut, Minnesota, Marquette, and Washington University in St. Louis. Their success owes much to the distinctiveness of their Drake history education.

As historians, we love the stories and complexities of human societies. As educators, we love to work with students who are likewise drawn to drama of the human narrative. We keep our class sizes small not only to foster effective conversations about historical problems but also to give us the opportunity to work closely with students as they develop their historical literacy and interest in particular periods and geographical areas.

I invite you to become a part of our community of historical inquiry. Please do contact me if you have any questions; I would be very happy to help in any way I can.

Glenn McKnight
Associate Professor and Chair, Department of History
glenn.mcknight@drake.edu 
515-271-2764