Department of History to commemorate 75th Anniversary of World War II

World War II Commemoration

To commemorate the lives of those who fought for freedom in World War II, Radford University is hosting a semester-long series of events dedicated to remembering the heroes’ significant impact on society.

The “World War II 75th Anniversary Series: Experience and Legacy” events begin February 5 and run through April 29, with all events beginning at 4 p.m. on the third floor in the Andrew W. Ross Gallery inside McConnell Library. Suzanne Ament, Ph.D., professor of history, proposed the idea for the series of events.

“We want attendees to understand the dimensions of the war in different ways,” said Matthew Oyos, Ph.D., professor of history. “We want attendees to consider the perspective of that generation. What will the world be like without people who don't know that awful conflict as a living memory? It's a cautionary tale that we can all learn from today.”

The events covering all aspects of World War II, with collaboration from across Radford’s campus, are listed below:

  • February 5, Art and History: The World War II Paintings of Ken Smith
  • February 12, Sing to Victory: Song in Soviet Society during World War II with Suzanne Ament, Ph.D.
  • February 19, How Superman Would Win the War: Propaganda in American Comic Books with Matt Smith, Ph.D.
  • February 26, From the Front Porch to the Front Lines: A Floyd Story Center, Radford University and Floyd County Public Schools Partnership with Melinda Wagner, Ph.D., and Kathleen Ingoldsby
  • March 4, Japanese Policy toward Allied POWs with Leah Short
  • March 18, Nursing on the Battlefield: WWII and the Contributions of Nurses with Sarah Gilbert, Ph.D.
  • March 25, Theater of War: Telling Women's Stories from Nazi Europe with Emily Keck, Ph.D.
  • April 1, Keep Baseball Going: The National Past Time during World War II with Johnny Moore, Ph.D.
  • April 8, Breaking Enigma: The Bletchley Park Codebreakers and the Turing Bombe with Neil Sigmond, Ph.D.
  • April 15, Navajo Code of World War II with Neil Sigmond, Ph.D.
  • April 29, German Perspectives on V-E Day with Mike Montgomery, Ph.D.

The events will feature a dialogue between speaker and audience, a major goal of the series.

“We want a greater appreciation of perhaps how the past is still a living entity among us,” Oyos said.

The “World War II 75th Anniversary Series: Experience and Legacy” series of events is a cross-discipline collaboration, showcasing the vast impact of World War II and sponsored by the College of Humanities and Behavioral Sciences, Department of History, McConnell Library and the Office of the Provost.

Jan 31, 2020
Max Esterhuizen
540-831-7749
westerhuizen@radford.edu