History Department Graduates Class of 2015

Eleven history majors completed senior theses during the spring 2013 History Senior Seminar. As always, thesis research was based on extensive primary source investigation and resulted in projects that demonstrated substantial scholarly work. This year’s students and thesis titles:

Thomas Applegate, “Kennedy, Mennonites and Anti-Catholicism: Mennonite Opinions on Kennedy in the 1960 Presidential Race”

Madeline Krehbiel Baskfield, “The Legal Evolution of Conscientious Objection in the United States and Historic Peace Churches, 1940-1975”

Grace Elizabeth Boehm, “Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center of Goshen College: Changes and Continuities, 1964-2014”

Sara Garcia, “Goshen Community’s Initiative and the Development of Goshen’s ENL Program, 1974-2015”

Micah Helmuth, “’Proceeding through the Gate:’ Beginning of the Woodlawn Amish-Mennonite Church, 1948-1960s”

Jacob Martin, “Torchbearers and Boy Scouts: Mennonite Masculinity and Pacifism 1941-1984”

Seth Miller, “The Mennonite Home Mission, 1893-1956: A Narrative of Diversity within a Little Westside Church in Chicago”

Brad Sandlin, “Olive Mennonite Church Conflict: Bishop David A. Yoder’s Role in the Olive Mennonite Church Conflict of 1949”

Angeliky Santos, “Bienvenido: Mental Health Program Created by the Community for the Community”

Lizbeth South, “Dr. Florence Cooprider Friesen’s Role in the American Mennonite Mission in India from 1916-1941”

Elizabeth L. Wittrig, “Her Open Table: The Peace Witness of Marian Claassen Franz (1930-2006)”

April Zehr, “World War I Mennonite Conscientious Objectors in Camp Grant: The Emergence of a Pacifist Identity in the Face of Opposition, 1917-1919”

Each student presented their work to professors, classmates, friends and family at the end of the semester. The hard work was celebrated by the annual  group dinner that was held at Maple City Restaurant. Professors and their families and the students got the chance to share future plans after graduation, memories and stories from the past semester working on their thesis and fellowship with each other. The senior reception was held during the graduation weekend as a marker of meeting the requirements and completing their degrees. Families, students, and professors enjoyed interacting with each other over the students accomplishments and with some food and refreshments!