History

History can take you anywhere

Every day our students, faculty, and alumni are making a real world impact--and you can join them! Click on the photo captions to read stories of curiosity, challenge, and the unexpected places a history degree can lead.

Find success. Josi Lieb, BA '20, is the public program coordinator for the Andrew Jackson Hermitage in Nashville.

Explore untold history. Read how ONU students brought forgotten World War I stories to light.

Give back. Barbara Bowyer, BA '76, blazed trails for women in the military, and now she's supporting your dreams of international travel.

Find successs. Joseph Kent, BA '10, is deputy director and curator at the Atomic Museum in Las Vegas.

Study abroad. See the journey of a history class that embarked on a World War II tour across Europe.

Find success. Jody Blankenship, BA '00, is president and CEO of the Indiana Historical Society.

Make a local impact. Read how ONU students helped a village commemorate a baseball great.

Learn from a world class faculty. Read about Professor Strittmatter's project to collect the oral histories of Kent State Guardsmen.

History is the study of everything. No matter what your major or interest, history encompasses it - politics, economics, religion, science, art, mathematics, engineering, music, dance, fashion, food, literature, law, sports, war, medicine - each one has a history. In other words, the history major explores every aspect of the human experience.

Studying the past develops your skills like writing, research, and critical thinking to navigate life after college. Furthermore, students of history accumulate knowledge about societies and appreciate traditions from around the world. This cultured sensibility will help you build personal and professional relationships with people from all walks of life.

Large institutions just can’t provide the individualized attention and opportunity you’ll find here. At ONU, you won’t be a face in the crowd. From the time you arrive on campus until you graduate, you’ll be guided by a faculty advisor. Your class sizes will be small, and you can tailor your education to your interests. Our dedicated professors will get to know you. They will support you in your coursework, research, internships, and career preparations. You’ll arrive on campus as a student, but you’ll leave as a seasoned professional.

Upon graduation, you’ll be ready for whatever the future holds – whether it’s attending graduate school or embarking on a career. While the teaching and public history tracks lead directly to professional employment, the career outlook for this field is truly wide open.

History Courses, Curriculum & Program Resources

A history major offers maximum flexibility. Double major and/or add a minor and still graduate in four years. Take classes like: Vietnam War; The History of Italy; Contemporary Africa; Women's History; Football in America; Military and Society; Hitler and Nazism; Digital History and more.

"People go to college with massive ideals of how they want to impact the world. Ohio Northern doesn’t try to demote those dreams, but helps make them a reality.”

Josi Lieb, BA ‘20, development coordinator at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky

Is teaching your passion?

If you want to become a history teacher (grades 7-12), you can major in social studies education and obtain your teacher licensure. Our education program produces outstanding teachers with an emphasis on learning by doing, seeing and experiencing.

Learn More About Social Studies Education

Ignite your Passion

Find an internship you’ll love

We’ll connect you to opportunities in local and regional government, museums, nonprofits and private companies. Or, live, study, and work in Washington D.C. through The Washington Center program. In the past several years, history students have interned at a number of organizations, including:

• The National Archives, Washington, DC
• National Baseball Hall of Fame, Cooperstown, New York
• Boonshoft Museum of Discovery, Dayton, Ohio
• Meadowcroft Rockshelter and Historic Village, Avella, PA
• Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial, Put-in-Bay, Ohio
• National McKinley Birthplace Museum, Niles, Ohio
• Hardin County Historical Museum, Kenton, Ohio
• Allen County Museum, Lima, Ohio
• ONU Archives on campus

Meet your faculty

Our history faculty are passionate educators and accomplished scholars who bring the past to life in meaningful and engaging ways. They foster critical thinking, encourage lively discussion, and support students in making connections between history and today’s world. With their expertise and dedication, they create a welcoming and inspiring environment where curiosity thrives. Learn more about our faculty members below.

Meet ONU's faculty

Dr. Crawford primarily teaches courses in Sport History, Public History and War History. Most recently he has published a book about women athletes who are breaking barriers on the gridiron. Learn more about Dr. Crawford here.
Dr. Strittmatter teaches a wide variety of courses from World War I and the History of Italy to Heritage Preservation and The Titanic.

He also directs the Kent State Guardsmen Oral History Project, which is a collection of interviews with Ohio National Guardsmen involved in the campus shootings of May 4th, 1970. He is also the principal organizer of the Ray Brown Project, a multi-stage effort to commemorate the Negro Leagues pitcher and Baseball Hall of Famer.

For the 2025-26 academic year, Strittmatter also serves as the president of the Ohio Academy of History, a statewide professional organization whose membership includes college faculty, high school social studies teachers, museum curators, public historians, among others.

Learn more about Dr. Strittmatter here.

Lead & Learn

If you have a passion for history and you’re ready to say “yes” to new experiences, you’ve picked the right major. Be prepared to join, lead, debate and travel.

Attend and present at state and national conferences as early as your freshman year. Our students present papers at the National Phi Alpha Theta Conference and the Ohio Academy of History Annual Meeting. They also design and curate exhibits both on and off campus.
Interested in publishing your work? With the guidance and mentorship of our faculty, our students have been able to publish their work in a variety of venues. Some of those include the Encyclopedia of Slavery in the Americas, Perspectives in History, History Matters, as well as the local Ada Icon.
Gain perspective on the U.S. justice system by participating in Mock Trial. You’ll develop research and communication skills and prepare for law school. Each year, we send ONU teams to the American Mock Trial Association’s intercollegiate mock trial competitions. Each team prepares either a civil or criminal case for litigation before a panel of two or three judges. With the resources of our Pettit College of Law, our Mock Trial teams receive excellent preparation and they excel at these competitions.
Learn about diplomacy and multiculturalism by participating in Model UN. Model UN is an academic organization that simulates the actions of the United Nations. Each year, ONU’s team attends different conferences and represents one of the countries currently recognized by the UN. Our team prepares to represent that country’s stance on real-world issues in mock committees at competitions in Atlanta, GA and Charlotte, NC in the fall and spring semesters.
Find yourself in the center of activity in the nation’s capital by participating in The Washington Center (TWC) program. TWC’s goal is to be a bridge between higher education and professional careers. TWC provides opportunities to work in the heart of government, meet people from all over the world, develop professional skills, build your resume and create a network of contacts. Many ONU students find full-time employment through their TWC experiences.
Expand your worldview and experience different cultures. We encourage our history majors to spend a semester or summer living, studying and traveling in another country. ONU’s extensive Study Abroad program has direct arrangements with several universities across the world. Our students have studied in Spain, South Korea, Cuba, England, Chile, France, China, Germany, Scotland, Costa Rica and Iceland. We teach travel courses dealing with World War Memory. Dr. Strittmatter took students to Belgium and France in 2022, and Dr. Crawford will take students to London, Normandy, and Paris during Spring Break 2026.
As a history major, you’ll be considered for two honorary societies that recognize academic achievement. Membership opens the door to opportunities for professional development, attendance at regional and national conferences, networking and more. The two honoraries are: Phi Alpha Theta (the oldest and most prestigious honor society in history) and Phi Beta Delta (honor society of international scholars).

Alumni Profiles

Check out a few outstanding alumni and see where a history degree can take you!

Josi Lieb, BA ’20

Public Program Coordinator, Andrew Jackson Hermitage

Joseph Kent, BA ’10

Deputy Director and Curator, Atomic Museum, Las Vegas

Jody Blankenship, BA ’00

President and CEO, Indiana Historical Society

End game: a fulfilling history career

What will you choose?

Our graduates often receive multiple job offers and acceptance into several graduate schools or law schools. Check out where they’ve ended up.

- Archivist, Johnny Cash Museum in Nashville
- Development associate, Old Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts
- Visitor experience associate, Springfield (Ohio) Museum of Art
- Historical interpreter, Meadowcroft Rockshelter in Pennsylvania
- Teacher, close to Ada, and in several other states from Maryland to Arizona.

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History

History can take you anywhere

History Courses, Curriculum & Program Resources

Is teaching your passion?

Ignite your Passion

Find an internship you’ll love

Meet your faculty

Russ Crawford

David Strittmatter

Lead & Learn

Conferences and Exhibits

Get Published

Mock Trial

Model UN

The Washington Center

Study Abroad

Honorary Societies