Jacob Asma (associate editor)
Shelley Bookspan (advisory editor)
Sara Brophy (associate editor)
Barbara J. Howe (advisory editor)
James Melzer (managing editor)
Edward C. Papenfuse, Jr. (advisory editor)
Richard Robertson (associate editor)
Anne Rothfeld (associate editor)
Patricia Seed (advisory editor)
Michael Thompson (managing editor)
Emma Wilmer (managing editor)
Jacob P. Asma
I am a recently retired Federal employee who writes essays or poems whenever the
opportunity presents itself – whether for local history projects, magazine
essays, or newsletters. My appreciation for history can be exemplified by a
monthly feature I wrote at one time for the newsletter entitled: “From Yore to
You.”
The period of my Federal career most closely related to public history was with
the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) [1978-1982) when I
worked as a Management Analyst in the Records Management (RM) area, creating
Federal RM Handbooks for the agencies.
Before entering Federal service, I received a BA in education and history from
Western Michigan University. Jacob recently published the poem,
"Appreciating Our Historical Legacy," in
Fairfax Stories 1607-2007, which commemorates the 400th anniversary of Jamestown.
Term:
Aug. 2006 -Aug. 2007
Shelley Bookspan
Shelley Bookspan is the editor of The Public Historian
and is on the editorial board of Environmental History, a publication of
the Forest History Society and the American Society for Environmental
History. She teaches courses in public history at the University of
California, Santa Barbara and founded PHR Environmental Consultants, Inc., now
part of IT Group, Inc.
Term: Fall 1999 - Fall 2001
Sarah Brophy
I am an historian, a museum professional and a writer. I help organizations attract grant funds, and manage historic preservation and education projects. My study and training at the College of William & Mary and Colonial Williamsburg Foundation was a great way to start in this field. I also write about museums and the practice of history for a variety of public and professional magazines and journals. My book Are You Grant Ready? is in production at AltaMira Press as part of the AASLH (American Association for State and Local History) Book Series.In America I have volunteered as a board member for my local historical society, the Bay State Historical League, the Association for Gravestone Studies, and the American Association of Museum Volunteers. During my year in England (2003-2004) I had time for hands-on volunteering in public archaeology, oral history, and digitizing collections. If I had all the free time in the world, I would become both a public archaeologist and an oral historian – full time! To learn more, visit Sarah's Web site
Term: Fall 2004 - Spring 2005
Barbara J. Howe
Barbara J. Howe received her Ph.D. from Temple University in 1976 and was a
regional preservation officer for the Ohio Historic Preservation Office from
1976 to 1980. She moved to West Virginia University in 1980 to start the
public history program and has directed it since that date. Her publications
include Public History: An Introduction, co-edited with Emory Kamp, and Careers
for Students in History. She was chair of the National Council on
Public History and has been a council member for the American Association for
State and Local History.
Term: Fall 1999 - Winter 2000
James Melzer
James Melzer is a graduate student at the University of Maryland, pursuing master's degrees in History and Library Science. James worked as a professional historian
for three years with PHR Environmental Consultants, Inc., a California-based public history and
litigation support firm. His research specialties included corporate succession and structure,
manufactured gas plants, and the mining industry. He also specialized in large project coordination,
database design, and report production. James currently works for the University of Maryland's Office
of Information Technology as a web designer. His research interests include information architecture,
database design, human computer interaction, electronic records management, and information
policy.
Term: Spring 1999 - Winter 2000
Edward C. Papenfuse, Jr.
Edward C. Papenfuse, Jr., the Archivist of the State of Maryland, has a Ph.D. from The Johns Hopkins University
(1973), where he completed a dissertation entitled Mercantile Opportunity and Urban Development in a
Planting Society. Since 1968 he has been employed in teaching, archival, library, and museum-related
work. His innovations at the Maryland State Archives have resulted in comprehensive guides to holdings
that provide unparalleled access to the records. Within the last several years he has placed the Maryland
State Archives on the World Wide Web, providing access to the most comprehensive and current information
on state government, the holdings of the Archives, and a wide range of archival materials in electronic
document packets for use in Teaching in the Age of the Internet. For more information, visit his
online vita
Term: Winter 2001 - Winter 2003
Richard Robertson
Richard Barclay Robertson, M.Div., is a Manuscript Processor, Specialist in Genealogical Collections, for the Western Reserve
Historical Society in Cleveland, Ohio. He has been a genealogist for over a decade and is in pursuit of his certification. In addition, his
educational goals include furthering his studies in history at The University of Akron and obtaining a Master of Library and Information
Science with a specialization in archives and record management.
Term: Spring 2000 - Spring 2001
Anne Rothfeld
Anne Rothfeld is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Historical Studies, with a concentration in Public History, at the University of Maryland
Baltimore County. Her dissertation topic is Holocaust survivor's restitution and restitution of Jewish property. Prior to attending UMBC,
Anne received a M.S. in Library and Information Science from Catholic University. Professionally, she has worked as an archivist at
the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum Archives, and was the Project Director to the scanning and imaging historical materials at U.S.
Mint. Anne's many presentations and publications in the field include a chapter in The History Highway 2000, a book that discusses
online public history and annotates notable sites.
Term: Spring 2001
Patricia
Seed
Patricia Seed, professor of History at Rice University, received her Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
She is the American Editor of
Itinerario: A Journal of European Expansion, and is on the Editorial Board of several scholarly journals
pertaining to colonial and postcolonial history, particularly in the Americas. In addition to her many awards,
publications, presentations, and media appearances, Dr. Seed runs the acclaimed history Web site,
Latitude: The Art and Science of Fifteenth-Century Navigation.
Term: Fall 2000 - Fall 2002
Michael
Thompson
Michael Thompson was born and grew up as
the son of two teachers in Walnut Grove, South Carolina. He graduated from
the South Carolina Governor's School for Science and Mathematics in 1995.
He is a member of the Class of 1999 from the United States Naval Academy,
and will graduate with a B.S. in History. He is working towards a M.A. in
History at the University of Maryland at College Park. After graduation
from the Academy, he will be commissioned as an Ensign in the Navy and
will pursue a career in the Surface Warfare community.
Term:
Spring 1999
Emma Wilmer
Emma Wilmer attends the University of
Maryland, where she is working on two master's degrees, one in library science (archives track) and one in history
(focusing on museum courses and the history of women in the United States). Once finished in the spring, she will
work in an archives or museum; currently, she is interested in working in a moderately-sized university or college
archives. Emma graduated from Franklin & Marshall College where she majored in French and Anthropology.
While in College Park, she has worked in several archives and historical organizations, including
the archives of the American Institute of Physics, the
history library of the American College of Ob/Gyns, the
archives of the National Agricultural Library, and the
National Broadcasting Archives. She is a member
of several professional organizations, including MARAC, SAA, and ALA, and is a past-treasurer of the
Student Archivists
at Maryland (SAM).
Term:
Spring 1999 - Fall 2001
