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Richard McCarthy Lecture to Feature WWII Scholars May 4 at USM Hattiesburg Campus

Fri, 04/21/2023 - 10:42am | By: David Tisdale

May 4Three prominent World War II (WWII) scholars will share the latest research on the conflict – theirs and those of others in the field – during The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) Dale Center for the Study of War & Society’s Richard McCarthy Lecture Thursday, May 4 at 6 p.m. in room 108 of the Liberal Arts Building on the USM Hattiesburg campus. This free event will be preceded with a reception at 5:30 p.m.

The roundtable event, titled “What’s New in WWII? Distinguished Historians Discuss the Field Today” will feature Dr. Allison Abra, Warden and Vice-Chancellor of St. John's College and Adjunct Professor of History, University of Manitoba; Dr. Michael S. Neiberg, Chair of War Studies and Professor of History, School of Strategic Landpower, U.S. Army War College; and Dr. Robert Citino, Samuel Zemurray Stone Senior Historian at the National World War II Museum. Drs. Abra and Neiberg are former members of the USM History program faculty.

USM Professor of History Dr. Andrew Wiest, founding director of the Dale Center who is also a WWII scholar, will serve as moderator of the event.

“The Dale Center is excited to welcome three of the leading historians of the Second World War to speak to our students and to the community,” said Dr. Wiest. “World War II remains the subject of intense interest both to our students and to the public, and having three leaders in the field here to discuss the state of play of World War II history and to take questions about it is a real opportunity for an engaging evening of history.”

The Richard McCarthy Lecture Series was founded in 2006 through the generous support of Dr. Richard McCarthy and Dr. Craig Howard and is designed to bring together students, faculty, and community members to access cutting edge research in the field of military history and War and Society.

Over the years, the McCarthy Lecture Series has provided the campus and Hattiesburg communities a broad range of programming, ranging from a panel discussion led by veterans of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq to more academic programs including talks by leading historians of War and Society and military history, such as Sebastian Junger, Beth Bailey, Jeremy Black, Dennis Showalter, Margaret MacMillan, Jeffrey Gray, Brian Linn, Wayne Lee, and John Lynn, among others.

Visit the Dale Center website to learn more.