ASCH

The Association for the Study of Connecticut History

With the publication of the Fall 2003 issue of Connecticut History, the organization will be saying goodbye and thank you to Bob Asher as editor of the journal for over five years. Bob has edited Connecticut History since 1997.

Matt Warshauer, Associate Professor of History at Central Connecticut State University, will succeed Bob Asher as the editor. Matt has a Ph.D. from St. Louis University and has been a member of the CCSU history department since 1997. His area of specialty is 19^th century American political history. Under Matt, Connecticut History will maintain its traditional excellence but will also expand into the public history and secondary school sector. He is planning new features that will benefit middle and high school teachers. In some issues, selected articles will include a lesson plan that will appear on the ASCH website. Coverage of state museums, historical societies, and archives will be expanded. His first issue will be published in the spring of 2004. For more information on Matt’s plans for Connecticut History read an interview with the CCSU Courier at: http://www.ccsu.edu/Courier/2003/Sep/Focus.htm

Matt is also the ASCH webmaster. Central Connecticut State University is hosting the ASCH website on its server. For more information on ASCH, upcoming programs, or the Table of Contents to back issues of Connecticut History, visit the ASCH website at: http://asch.ccsu.edu/

Katherine Hermes will serve as book review editor of Connecticut History. The editors wish to expand coverage of works published by Connecticut historical societies. If you have recently published a work on a Connecticut topic, please send a review copy to Katherine at Central Connecticut State University.

Also leaving the Board is Treasurer, Paul Siff. Paul’s service to ASCH has extended far beyond this most recent period as Treasurer since 1998. He served ASCH as Associate Editor of Connecticut History, member of the Board, President (1992-96) as well as an earlier stint as Treasurer from 1986-92. In all, he has contributed almost 20 years of continuous service to ASCH.

Joining the Board are Margaret Vincent, David O. White, and Matt Warshauer. Margaret is filling out the remainder of Paul’s term as treasurer. She has an MA in Arts Administration and Costume/Textile History and an MBA from Wake Forest University. Her paper, “Sturdy Beggars, Vagabonds, and Common Drunkards: Petty Criminals in Connecticut Almshouses, 1795-1900” was presented at the spring meeting in Greenwich.

David O. White was elected Corresponding Secretary at the spring meeting. Although new to the ASCH Board, he has a long association with Connecticut history. David is retired from the Connecticut Historical Commission and the author of Connecticut’s Black Soldiers, 1775-1783, a publication of The American Revolution Bicentennial Commission of Connecticut.

For those who are planning ahead, the spring meeting will be held at the Litchfield Historical Society on Saturday, May 1. The program will be posted on the ASCH website.

The Fall 2004 program will be held at Manchester Community College on Saturday, November 6. Guocun Yang at MCC is chairing the conference. Conference theme is: The African American Experience in Connecticut. Further information and a call for papers for the conference is available on the website.

Reminder to members to pay your dues. Dues are $30 for individuals and institutional memberships; student memberships are $10.00. Dues should be sent to the ASCH Treasurer at: ASCH, P.O. Box 177, Unionville, CT 06085-0177.