Master Calendar     |     Athletic Calendar     |     Media Gallery     |     Request Info     |     Summer Programs     |     Athletics     |     SAGE
music_hall.jpg
DSC_0308.jpg
HomeAcademicsUpper SchoolDepartments
Print
PDF

History & Social Studies

Share

Philosophy

The Upper School History Department works with students to understand the past and to develop skills for applying that understanding to the world we live in today.  Our goal is to produce students who are active participants in an ongoing historical process.  Our program introduces students to cultures, events, and forces for change from all over the world, past and present.  We provide opportunities for gathering and applying information and thinking critically about problems in the social science disciplines--history, geography, political theory, economics, sociology, and anthropology.

In addition to this core of knowledge and skills, we strive to promote responsible attitudes and actions.  Stressing the importance and dignity of individual human beings, we encourage students to respect themselves and others.  We introduce the principles and practices of democracy, and encourage students to explore the various economic, social, political, and environmental challenges of our times.  Students will develop an awareness of these challenges, and the ability to acquire, assess, and apply information toward solutions to these challenges.  We study the past not only to understand the present but also the possibilities for the future.


Graduation Requirements

Foundations of Civilizations is required for freshmen, juniors must take U.S. history, and seniors must elect a year of history.  Sophomore year history study is strongly advised.

 

Course Offerings

 

Faculty

Russell Bartlett—Department Chair
James Ackerman
Tim Cohen
Jill Cooper
Geoffrey Loose
Stacy McMillen
Jeff Salzberger
David Sorin

 

Co-curricular Information

Princeton University Model Congress—supervised by Ms. McMillen—a club that simulates the legislative process, from researching to bill writing to debating and amending proposed laws, culminating in a 4-day conference with dozens of other schools in Washington, DC, shortly before Thanksgiving.  http://pmc.princeton.edu/

 

Georgetown University Model United Nations—supervised by Mr. Cohen—a club that simulates the work of various UN agencies in dealing with various global issues and crises, culminating in a 4-day conference in Washington, DC, with dozens of other schools, in mid-February.  http://www.modelun.org/naimun

 

Junior States of America (JSA)—supervised by Mr. Salzberger—a club very similar to Model Congress, which meets regularly to debate current national and international issues; members also participate in a Washington, DC, conference in late winter.  http://www.jsa.org/

 

Fed Challenge—supervised by Ms. McMillen—a club that researches and presents a policy recommendation to members of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, usually in early spring.  http://www.federalreserveeducation.org/teachers/FedChallenge/FedChallenge_intro.htm

 

Other history-related clubs that have met in the past and can be revived, depending on student interest, include: Maroon Exchange (stock exchange simulation), Amnesty International, and the National History Club.

 

Faculty Professional Development Activities and Achievements

James Ackerman recently visited Valley Forge National Park in Pennsylvania and San Xavier del Bac Mission and Titan Missile Museum near Tucson, AZ to gather materials for U.S. History.

Russell Bartlett was a participant in a Rutgers Center for Historical Analysis workshop on “Disputed Elections in US History.  He also attended the Princeton Teachers as Scholars Program on “Guns, Germs, & Steel.”

Tim Cohen serves as the RPS school archivist and historian, maintaining a collection of documents, artifacts, and other material dating back to the school's founding in 1766.  Tim is currently writing a book on the history of RPS from the 1950’s to the present, building on the work of earlier school historian Dr. Frank Sperduto. This book will be available in time for the school's 250th anniversary celebration in 2016.

Dr. Jill Cooper’s recently published articles include:

  • "A Brief Romance with Magic Bullets: Rene Dubos at the Dawn of the Antibiotic Era," in John W. Ward & Christian Warren, eds. Silent Victories: The History and Practice of Public Health in Twentieth-Century America, Oxford University Press, 2007.
  • "Selman Waksman" in Maxine Lurie & Mark Mappen, eds. The Encyclopedia of New Jersey, Rutger University Press, 2004.

Geoffrey Loose is working on research and an early draft of an autobiography of Detroit Tigers Hall of Fame second baseman Charlie Gehringer.  He recently attended a Rutgers History Seminar with Professors Jonathan Lurie (Rutgers-Newark) and Maxine Lurie (Seton Hall) on late 19th Century history.

Stacy McMillen was selected to participate in a National Endowment for the Humanities workshop entitled "Mark Twain and the Gilded Age," at the Mark Twain House in Hartford, Connecticut.  She also attended a Gilder-Lehrman workshop entitled "American Jurisprudence," taught by Justice Sandra Day O'Connor at Georgetown University.

Jeffrey Salzberger recently attended an AP European History teachers’ conference at Rutgers University.  He recently completed his Masters Degree thesis on the topic of tourism history.

David Sorin was the featured speaker at an information technology conference, leading a discussion dealing with alternative sources of capital in the face of weak public capital markets.  He also delivered an address at Drexel University regarding projected changes in the regulatory environment relating to banking and investment banking in response to the worst financial crisis in American history since the Great Depression.

 

Website Links of Interest

Best of History Websites
A collection of useful websites reviewed by professional historians, grouped by subject and era.

Delaware & Raritan Canal State Park
Much more than a jogging path next to campus, this is a bona fide historical resource.

Washington Crossing State Park
A major turning point in the American Revolution, as well as the destination over the years for several field trips of US History students at Rutgers Prep.