SFA History

06/13/2023

Thank you to our SFA students, faculty and staff for exhibiting true Lumberjack spirit through patience and resourcefulness during this incident.

Our IT team continues to investigate and address this situation, in coordination with resources from the University of Texas System and other partners.

Students should reach out to their course instructors and faculty with questions regarding assignments, deadlines and tests. Consult the SFA phone list to contact academic departments. https://www.dropbox.com/s/og81mqs9z1yqlbj/SFA%20Phone%20Numbers.pdf?dl=0

No students will be dropped for non-payment until our systems are operational again. Payroll for university employees is proceeding as scheduled.

09/24/2021

Happy Friday, Lumberjacks! Check out what our very own Dr. Steve Taaffe has been up to:

Dr. Steve Taaffe's book, "Commanding the Pacific: Marine Corps Generals in World War II," was recently published by Naval Institute Press. The book analyzes the combat generals who led the Marine Corps' high-level units across the Central Pacific during World War II through battles such as Guadalcanal, Tarawa and Iwo Jima.

09/15/2021

Hey Jacks - check this out! The SFA History Club will sponsor a talk with Dr. Court Carney, professor of history, titled "Democracy in the Age of Disinformation: Fake News, Popular Culture, and American History" planned for 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 21, in Dugas Liberal Arts North, Room 102.
Carney will discuss the historical roots of disinformation, the rise of fake news and the impact these developments have had on American democracy.
For more information, email [email protected]

08/28/2021

Hey Jacks - check this out!
Dr. Court Carney, professor in the Department of History contributed to a Texas Monthly article discussing an upcoming sculpture installation in Rockport and its implication in the wider debate surrounding statues that glorify tragic periods of history.
Carney spoke about the problematic nature of reducing nuanced moments in history to singular, nonabstract portrayals.
“When that happens, the history lessons are likely to be lost or confused and simple politicization takes its place,” Carney said. “In the case of the Rockport statues, this is a complicated series of stories that you’re putting in very uncomplicated terms, which could become problematic.”
Way to go Dr. Carney!

05/04/2020

Hey, history Jacks! Check out this video of encouragement from Dr. Davis:

01/24/2020

Dr. Stephen Taaffe’s book “Washington’s Revolutionary War Generals” has been nominated for the Journal of the American Revolution’s Book-of-the-Year award. Dr. Taaffe is a professor in the Department of History at SFA and focuses his research and studies on military leadership. This particular book highlights some 73 generals that operated under George Washington in the Revolutionary War. According to Dr. Taaffe, the book focuses “on the selection and retention of all the [men] that Congress made generals during the war.” Taaffe describes the book as “a narrative approach where [he] talks about the war and whenever a general pops up, talks about the general” in detail. One of his favorite Generals to research was Nathanael Greene because of the strategy he displayed in the southern states during the war.

Dr. Taaffe was able to conduct most of his research here at SFA and mentioned that the library houses an abundance of material regarding the Revolutionary War, such as letters from delegates and Washington’s papers, which helped in his writing process. He mentioned that the project took several years to complete and the research was more complicated by the fact that there were a greater number of generals in the Revolutionary War than most other wars.

The Journal of the American Revolution’s website describes the journal as “the leading source of knowledge about the American Revolution and Founding Era.” The research and writing published by the journal have been cited or referenced by the History Channel, The New York Times, Smithsonian, History News Network, and other well-known outlets. Dr. Taaffe’s book is among just five that the Journal has nominated for book of the year. Dr. Taaffe was surprised and honored by the nomination. According to the journal’s website, the winner and honorable mention will be announced on January 31st.

Congratulations to SFA’s Dr. Taaffe on his nomination and recognition for his hard work!

Here is a link to an article regarding the nomination:

The Journal of the American Revolution is pleased to announce the five finalists for the 2019 JAR Book-of-the-Year Award. In alphabetical order: The British Are...

11/23/2019

When the Revolutionary War began, Congress established a national army and appointed George Washington its commander in chief. Congress then took it upon itself to choose numerous subordinate generals to lead the army’s various departments, divisions, and brigades. How this worked out in ...

02/20/2019

02/20/2019

SFA’s Department of History will host Dr. Beth Barton Schweiger, a historian and 1983 SFA alumna, at 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 25, in Dugas Liberal Arts North, Room 142.

Schweiger’s talk, “A Literate South: Why Southern Readers Matter,” will detail how her experience at SFA shaped her career and forthcoming book, “A Literate South: Reading Before Emancipation.” According to Dr. Hunter Hampton, lecturer in SFA’s history department, attendees will hear about the importance of literature and literacy in the American South during the years leading up to the Civil War.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Hampton at (936) 468-2048 or [email protected].