Collections : [Florida Atlantic University Libraries]

Harry A. Kersey, Jr. is Professor Emeritus of History at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida.  A native Floridian, he received his Bachelor of Arts and Masters degrees from the University of Florida, and holds a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  In 1966, Dr. Kersey began teaching at Florida Atlantic University and currently is an emeritus professor of history at FAU. Professor Kersey has a rich background in international research and teaching.  He has been a Fulbright Senior Scholar at two African universities—the University of Zimbabwe (1984) and the National University of Lesotho (1988)—where he lectured and initiated research on comparative frontier history.  In 1996, the United States Information Agency sponsored his appearance as a Visiting Lecturer on American Indian history at the Linguistics University of Nizhny Novgorod in Russia.  During 2000, he was a Fulbright Senior Scholar at the National Library of New Zealand conducting research for a comparative study of Maori and American Indian sovereignty issues. The Treaty of Waitangi Research Unit at Victoria University of Wellington published his initial research findings.  As a follow-up to the New Zealand work, Kersey was awarded a Visiting Research Fellowship at the East-West Center in Honolulu during the summer of 2001.  He returned to New Zealand in 2002 and 2005 as a Fulbright Senior Specialist examining the impact of Maori issues in New Zealand politics. Dr. Kersey's recent publication, Seminole Voices received a silver medal in the non-fiction category of the 2010 Florida Book Awards.  It also won the Harry and Harriet Moore Book Award and The Samuel Proctor Oral History Prize given by the Florida Historical Society. Dr. Kersey is currently involved in comparative research on indigenous rights, political sovereignty, and the impact of minority issues on national governments.  In addition, he occasionally teaches courses at both Florida Atlantic University and the University of Hawai'i at Manoa.

The Frazer-O'Sullivan Collection contains the research for the co- authored book, We Have Just Begun to Not Fight: An Oral History of Conscientious Objectors in the Civilian Public Service During World War II, by Heather Frazer and John O'Sullivan. More than 40,000 American men refused to fight during World War II. Citing principled opposition, they declared themselves conscientious objectors. Rejecting combat duty, nearly 12,000 men entered Civilian Public Service (CPS) with the intent to perform "work of national importance" as an alternative to combat duty. The CPS program was set up by members of the historic peace churches (Mennonites, Brethren, and Quakers) and participated in by pacifists from other churches, of no specific religious persuasion, and, in the case of a few, no persuasion except not to fight in that particular war. CPS men worked as aides in mental hospitals, volunteered as smoke jumpers in forest fires, and participated in grueling medical and scientific experiments. Frazer and O'Sullivan use the oral histories of 15 CPS men and two of their wives to illuminate their experience during World War II.

Heather T. Frazer (1940 – 2016) was a professor of history at Florida Atlantic University. After graduating from Connecticut College for her undergraduate studies, she attained a M.A. and Ph.D. from Duke University in South Asian History. In 1971, she became the first female faculty member in the FAU history department where she taught for 35 years before retiring in 2006. During her tenure she served as Department Chair and Director of Graduate Studies. She also pioneered the study of women's history at FAU, helping establish the Women's Studies program, which is now the Center for Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies. Dr. Frazer taught courses in women's history, modern Britain and British Empire, Indian history, and oral history. She researched and published in the fields of India and women's history, and co-authored with her colleague, Dr. John O'Sullivan, We Have Just Begun to Not Fight: An Oral History of Conscientious Objectors in Civilian Public Service during World War II (1996). In 1988, she received a Fulbright Fellowship and spent part of the year in India. In 1990, she was selected FAU's Distinguished Teacher of the Year, the highest teaching award conferred by the university, and one selected exclusively by the students. Upon her retirement she was named Professor Emerita of History.

The collections Political Circus and Political Sideshow focuses on the Presidential Campaigns of 2008 and 2016 where identity has played a part in the rhetoric of some candidates, but more so in some of the general public's response to various candidates. Through the acquisition of popular consumer items produced for the Presidential campaigns, Caputi organized two exhibitions teasing out issues to do with gender, racism, identity, class, sexuality.

The Political Circus, Political Sideshow, and Political Pandemonium collections focus on the Presidential Campaigns of 2008, 2016, and 2020, where identity has played a part in the rhetoric of some candidates but more so in some of the general public's responses to various candidates. Through the acquisition of popular consumer items and material culture produced for the Presidential campaigns, Dr. Caputi organized three exhibitions teasing out issues concentrated on gender, racism, identity, class, and sexuality. The Political Pandemonium Collection highlights the 2020 presidential election cycle. The items include traditional campaign memorabilia such as buttons and posters, to more contemporary objects (realia). These pieces were central components of the exhibition, POLITICAL PANDEMONIUM Presidential Pop Culture From 2008 Through 2020 that ran from October 1, 2020 - January 15, 2021 at Florida Atlantic University's Ritter Gallery. The exhibition examined stereotypes and prejudices in politics through a collection of everyday consumer objects that became propaganda items to compliment or critique candidates. The collection's items interrogate issues like misogyny, feminism, gender, patriotism, sexism, class, violence, and ageism.

The collections Political Circus and Political Sideshow focuses on the Presidential Campaigns of 2008 and 2016 where identity has played a part in the rhetoric of some candidates, but more so in some of the general public's response to various candidates. Through the acquisition of popular consumer items produced for the Presidential campaigns, Caputi organized two exhibitions teasing out issues to do with gender, racism, identity, class, sexuality.

John D. Early is Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at Florida Atlantic University. Dr. Early joined the faculty of the Anthropology Department in 1969. He was chair of the department for several years and retired in 1993. His educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Master of Arts in Social Philosophy from St. Louis University, a Master of Arts in Theology from Woodstock College (a Jesuit Seminary), a Master of Arts in Sociology from Fordham University, and a PhD in Anthropology-Sociology from Harvard University (1965). Dr. Early began his career as a Jesuit priest, although he resigned from the priesthood in 1969. As a member of the Harvard-Chiapas Research Project, he went to Zinacantán to study Maya worldview and its Catholic elements. Later, his interest turned to demographic research as a planning basis for the literacy, cooperative and health programs in which he was involved among the Maya in Guatemala. It was also intended to bring to national and international attention to the severe malnutrition and high mortality among the Maya primarily as a result of social injustice. This interest then turned into fulltime research on the evolution of human population dynamics: for hunter-gathering groups as exemplified by the Agta in the Philippines, for tribal groups as exemplified by the Yanomami in Brazil, for peasants by the Maya in Mexico and Guatemala.

John O'Sullivan (1939-2000) was a professor of history at Florida Atlantic University. Dr. O'Sullivan attended Fordham University for his undergraduate studies and then Columbia University where he attained a M.A. and Ph.D. After graduating in 1971, he came to Florida Atlantic University where he served as chair of the History Department (1975-1978) and devoted his entire academic career. Dr. O'Sullivan received numerous research fellowships including the American Philosophical Society, the American Historical Association, and the Sloan Foundation.

Norman Nathan is Professor Emeritus of English at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida. He received his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts, and a Ph.D. in English all from New York University. In 1968, Dr. Nathan began his career at Florida Atlantic University. In his early career, Dr. Nathan wrote several textbooks dealing with English grammar and style, and literary interpretation of the short story and poetry while continuing to write poetry and short stories.

Samuel A. Portnoy (1920 - 2004) was a professor of History at Florida Atlantic University (1963-1991) in Boca Raton, Florida.  Dr. Portnoy was a native New Yorker and received his bachelor's degree and Ph.D.  from the University of Wisconsin at Madison and his master's from the University of Chicago. In 1963, he began teaching history at Florida Atlantic University where he was actively involved in the planning of the University's academic program.  He was also first chairman of the Department of History at FAU.  His areas of specialization include Russian and Soviet history, 19th and 20th century European history, and Modern Jewish history. Dr. Portnoy was also a prominent lecturer, speaking on subjects of current and historic importance.  These subjects included the Middle East, the Gorbachev revolution, German unification, and select topics in modern Jewish history (Hasidism, Zionism, Jewish labor and social movements in Europe and the United States), and various aspects of Yiddish culture.  Much of his research was focused on the Jewish Labor Bund and the life of Vladimir Medem, a Russian Jewish political leader.  Portnoy's publications include articles in both Yiddish and English for the journals Labor History, Dissent, and Yiddish. He is also the editor-translator of Vladimir Medem's memoirs entitled: The Life and Soul of a Legendary Jewish Socialist and Henryk Erlich and Victor Alter – Two Heroes and Martyrs for Jewish Socialism.