Browse Objects

In Alumni Files

Type of Resource

DigitalDocument

Rights Statement

In Diversity and Inclusion Posters, Presentations, and Projects

Abstract

Did U Know...? is a collaborative project from Union College's Office of Multicultural Affairs and Andrea Belair, Librarian for Archives and Special Collections. The goal of the project was to bring out under-represented voices and issues from Union College's past through the use of primary source materials.

Type of Resource

DigitalDocument

Rights Statement

In President's Report

Abstract

2006-2016: A decade in review

Type of Resource

DigitalDocument

In President's Report

Type of Resource

DigitalDocument

In President's Report

Type of Resource

DigitalDocument

In President's Report

Type of Resource

DigitalDocument

In President's Report

Type of Resource

DigitalDocument

In Steinmetz Symposium

Abstract

This thesis explores the combat roles of Soviet and American airwomen during World War II. Both the Soviet Union and the United States utilized women in the war effort between 1943-1945 in different capacities. The United States and the USSR were in very different geographical locations when it came to Germany; the US was across the Atlantic Ocean and not in a vulnerable position while the USSR was fighting a war on its home turf. The need for soldiers was very different. In addition, the cultures of the two countries were very different in their attitudes towards the equality between men and women. Communist ideology dictated that both genders were capable of the same work whereas in the US, society was still heavily inclined towards patriarchal norms. The Soviet Union was in desperate need of soldiers as German moved farther into the interior of the country. Due to the geographic size of the country, Stalin had no trouble filling his quotas and was willing to accept massive numbers of casualties. In addition to conscripting men, women could join the Red Army in a variety of roles, one of those roles were pilots. In 1941 Marina Raskova was given permission to form Aviation Group 122 which would contain three regiments comprised entirely of women. Those regiments included the 46th Guards Night Bomber Aviation Regiment, the 122nd Guards Bomber Aviation Regiment, and the 586th Fighter Aviation Regiment. The women of these regiment took part in numerous combat missions and suffered numerous casualties. In the United States, most of the jobs women took were in the factories as the men went to war and they kept the United States afloat. Women joined the Army Nurses Core (ANC), the Women's Auxiliary Core (WAC), and took on various administrative roles, but never entered the war in a combat capacity. In 1942, the Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS) and Women's Flying Training Detachment (WFTD) were formed before they were merged to become the WASPs. Though these women never saw combat, they were responsible for ferrying aircrafts and commanders and were expected to help train the ground troops. The WASPs were disbanded in 1944. This thesis examines both Aviation Group 122 as well as the WASPs in their formation, their equipment and missions, their relationships with their male counterparts, and their disbandment.

Type of Resource

VideoObject

Rights Statement

In Honors Theses

Abstract

Nancy Drew, America’s beloved girl sleuth, appeared on the American literary scene in 1930 with her blue roadster, fashionable clothes, and companion desires for adventure and charity – complete with Übermenschen capabilities, intelligence, feistiness, and beauty to spare. One of the last creations of literary giant Edward Stratemeyer and his Stratemeyer Syndicate, Nancy Drew was first written by Iowa journalist and Syndicate author Mildred Augustine Wirt. Nancy’s creation story is explored in part through the Stratemeyer Syndicate Records, where old letters and releases detail Nancy’s origins and creation, as well as the true identities of the pseudonym Carolyn Keene, the authorial signature listed on all the Nancy Drew books. Wirt laid revolutionary foundations in Nancy Drew, establishing her as a girl who wanted to live her life, pursue her own pleasures, and never let marriage or insecurity get in her way – a stark contrast with previously-published books, where domestic sensibilities and feminine constructs inveigled girls into believing that a solely domestic life was the only acceptable option. Nancy Drew was born into the world of and epitomized the “New Woman” of the twentieth century, inspiring her readers to likewise follow their passions and become “New Women.” After the death of Edward Stratemeyer in 1930, soon after Nancy’s debut, Wirt and Nancy Drew’s second author, Harriet Stratemeyer Adams, collaborated to continue Nancy’s adventures. After writing twenty-three of the first thirty stories, Wirt’s last Nancy Drew book appeared in 1948 (The Ghost of Blackwood Hall, #25). Nancy’s watershed qualities were toned down beginning in 1959, when the earlier Nancy Drew Mystery Stories underwent revisions: the stories were shortened, racist and racy aspects were edited out, and Wirt’s Nancy was “feminized” to be much more sweet and docile and less headstrong and autonomous. These revisions were ordered and carried out almost exclusively by Adams, Edward Stratemeyer’s daughter and one of the owners of the Syndicate after his death. While the differences between the original 1930 Nancy and the revised 1959 Nancy have been noted by scholars, case studies of the original and revised texts have never been done before. This thesis contains in-depth case studies of Nancy Drew’s first two adventures, The Secret of the Old Clock and The Hidden Staircase; the findings corroborate the claims of scholars, providing examples and analyses of these differences. The psychology of girlhood consists of (among many things) the constant negotiation of a girl’s identity between societal demands for femininity and a desire to pursue her own pleasures; later, it is also tinged by a struggle between childhood and adulthood. In Nancy Drew, these conflicts of identity are always successfully reconciled through Nancy’s absolute self-possession and constant struggle with (and forever success in) achieving life fulfillment. This is the Nancy Drew archetype; the archetype and the elements that constructed it have ensured not only the existence and success of Nancy Drew, but has also made contemporary girls’ literature of today possible. Today, the archetype appears in several characters of contemporary girls’ literature, including Katniss Everdeen (The Hunger Games), Samantha Parkington (The American Girls Collection), and Princess Cimorene of Linderwall (The Enchanted Forest Chronicles): these female protagonists are Nancy Drew’s daughters.

Type of Resource

Thesis

Rights Statement

In Honors Theses

Abstract

This thesis examines Jewish resistance in Poland during the Holocaust. The study relies on primary sources written by people who lived through the Holocaust, and the writing of historians, who have taken primary sources and turned them into historical texts. These sources are used to chronicle resistance in the ghettos and the forests of Poland with accurate details. The study focuses heavily on Jewish youth organization’s involvement in the resistance movement, and highlights major Jewish youth organization’s existence before and during the Holocaust, as well as Polish-Jewish relations before and during the war. Also covered as a precursor for resistance are the events that transpired during German occupation of Poland, and how it curtailed Jewish life. For the purposes of analysis, the issues have been grouped into two major categories—ghetto, and forest resistance. Within the major categories, there are subsidiary categories that provide detailed information on Jewish resistance. For the ghettos this study incorporated resistance in the Warsaw, Bialystok, and Vilna ghettos. The Lodz ghetto was also analyzed to illustrate how and why resistance did not form there. In the forests, two major partisan movements are highlighted in this study; the Bielski partisan unit, and the partisan unit in the Rudnicki Forest. Within the ghettos studied it is proven that where Jewish youth organizations were present, and had contact with people outside the ghettos, armed resistance formed. In these three ghettos the Jews were able to muster attacks against the Germans, and preserve Jewish life. The study also concludes that partisans in the forest were able to play important roles in weakening the German war effort, and saving Jewish life. The Bielski partisans and the partisans in the Rudnicki Forest faced great success in saving Jews, and sabotaging the enemy.

Type of Resource

Thesis

Rights Statement

In Honors Theses

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to briefly discuss the history of Rostov-on-Don and the surrounding region. Rostov-on-Don is a city that was established in 1749, and received its name from the fortress, which was named after Saint Dmitry of Rostov that stands where the city is today. There were a number of key developments before the establishment of Rostov-on-Don, including the birth of the Don Cossacks as well as the founding of other key cities in the region. Additionally, since the founding of Rostov-on-Don, the region has had a small and thriving Jewish community, which was able to exist despite anti-Semitic sentiments held by many in the region, especially by the Don Cossacks. Nevertheless, in the time leading up to the birth of the USSR, violence against Jews increased dramatically in the region. With the outbreak of Russian Civil War, following the Russian Revolution, the Rostov region played a decisive role, since it remained a White Army stronghold throughout most of the conflict. During the Civil War, anti-Semitism was prevalent and the Jews living in the Rostov region were treated horrifically by both the White Army as well as the Red Army. In 1920, the White Army was forced to give up Rostov-on-Don and the surrounding region to the Bolsheviks, ushering in an age of communist rule. The period following the Civil War was rife with construction and development in the Rostov region. New factories, rapid industrialization, and developments in the region’s educational system were the norm. Serving as a symbol of this industrialization, was the founding of Rostselmash, which was one of the largest factories specializing in farm equipment in the Soviet Union, in 1929 near Rostov-on-Don . Additionally, despite growing anti-Semitism amongst the Don Cossacks, who felt that both the Jews and the Communists were responsible for their misfortunes, there was a strong Jewish presence in Rostov-on-Don, which was composed of approximately 50,000 Jews in early 1941. Unfortunately, this only added to the tragedy that befell the region, when the Nazis took Rostov-on-Don for a week in November 1941, and then re-captured it in July 1942. During this time, it is believed that the majority of Rostov’s Jewish population was exterminated. It should also be noted that many Don Cossacks collaborated with the Nazis during the occupation. However, following the Nazi’s defeat at the Battle of Stalingrad, Rostov-on-Don was liberated by the Red Army on February 14th 1943. At this time the city and the region were in shambles, which warranted a large-scale reconstruction effort. Following the end of the Nazi occupation, reconstruction efforts began in the Rostov region. Although the demands from the Kremlin were to exceed pre-war production levels within a short period of time, it took the region decades to recover. In addition, it should be noted that most of Rostov-on-Don’s residential buildings were rendered uninhabitable due to the years of war in the region. Compounding the situation was the fact that crime skyrocketed. Nevertheless, the Rostov region was able to recover to the point where it became one of the most vital industrial areas of the Soviet Union. When the USSR began to collapse, the Don Cossacks were able to recover much of their culture, which had been buried during the Soviet period. And, despite the fact that there is still anti-Semitism in the Rostov region, there is currently a strong Jewish community in Rostov. Moreover, due to the area’s fascinating history, Rostov-on-Don and the Rostov Oblast require much future study, which will provide additional insights into the Russian soul.

Type of Resource

Thesis

Rights Statement

In Honors Theses

Abstract

From 1941 to 1953, the Jewish community of the Soviet Union experienced an unprecedented period of suffering, an era which some historians have aptly called “the black years” of Soviet Jewry. Relying on interviews conducted by this author as well as others, this study aims to give a human face to a period that is often recounted with anonymity and abstraction – to examine what these years meant for the Soviet Jews who endured them. To state it simply: Life was difficult. The challenges and demands of the period were innumerable for the Soviet Jews. Upon the German invasion, many Jews struggled with the complicated and life-saving decision to flee. For those who remained, life under German occupation was brutal and ephemeral, with many Jews spending their last days in despondency amidst the dreadful conditions of the ghetto. For those who fled to the interior of the country and survived, the food shortages and other rigors of wartime rendered life grueling. Whether toiling in factories or fighting for the Red Army and the partisans, the Jews of the Soviet Union contributed mightily to the war effort. Despite these contributions, the Jews experienced widespread popular anti-Semitism wherever they found themselves, especially towards the war’s end. The persecution continued into the post-war period, only then the full force of the state was directed against them. Stalin’s death at last brought a close to the fearful immediate post-war period, as well as to the most destructive era in the history of the Soviet Jews.

Type of Resource

Thesis

Rights Statement

In Honors Theses

Abstract

This thesis explores the combat roles of Soviet and American airwomen during World War II. Both the Soviet Union and the United States utilized women in the war effort between 1943-1945 in different capacities. The United States and the USSR were in very different geographical locations when it came to Germany; the US was across the Atlantic Ocean and not in a vulnerable position while the USSR was fighting a war on its home turf. The need for soldiers was very different. In addition, the cultures of the two countries were very different in their attitudes towards the equality between men and women. Communist ideology dictated that both genders were capable of the same work whereas in the US, society was still heavily inclined towards patriarchal norms. The Soviet Union was in desperate need of soldiers as German moved farther into the interior of the country. Due to the geographic size of the country, Stalin had no trouble filling his quotas and was willing to accept massive numbers of casualties. In addition to conscripting men, women could join the Red Army in a variety of roles, one of those roles were pilots. In 1941 Marina Raskova was given permission to form Aviation Group 122 which would contain three regiments comprised entirely of women. Those regiments included the 46th Guards Night Bomber Aviation Regiment, the 122nd Guards Bomber Aviation Regiment, and the 586th Fighter Aviation Regiment. The women of these regiment took part in numerous combat missions and suffered numerous casualties. In the United States, most of the jobs women took were in the factories as the men went to war and they kept the United States afloat. Women joined the Army Nurses Core (ANC), the Women's Auxiliary Core (WAC), and took on various administrative roles, but never entered the war in a combat capacity. In 1942, the Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS) and Women's Flying Training Detachment (WFTD) were formed before they were merged to become the WASPs. Though these women never saw combat, they were responsible for ferrying aircrafts and commanders and were expected to help train the ground troops. The WASPs were disbanded in 1944. This thesis examines both Aviation Group 122 as well as the WASPs in their formation, their equipment and missions, their relationships with their male counterparts, and their disbandment.

Type of Resource

Thesis

Rights Statement

In Honors Theses

Abstract

Men like, Primo Levi, Viktor Frankl, and Elie Wiesel, have provided us with valuable insight on the suffering of the Jewish people during the Holocaust. Only until recently, was there a disproportion of female memoirs of the Holocaust beyond the story Anne Frank. The purpose of this study was to research the Jewish women's experience in the ghettos, the concentration camps, and the partisans to add to a broader understanding of the Holocaust and its female victims. The hostile environment for Jewish males after Hitler's rise to power led to a complete role reversal for Jewish men and women. Jewish women were forced out of their domestic sphere and were thrust out into the working world to support their families. Women had the added burden of maintaining a peaceful family life while facing life and death decisions on whether to stay or leave Germany. Generally speaking, women took on their new responsibilities with grace and fortitude. I found that women thought life was bearable until in 1941 all Jews were confined to ghettos. Ghettoization meant that Jews were forcefully relocated and isolated into small chosen sectors of cities. In this study, I looked at the Lodz and Warsaw ghettos in Poland. Historians argue that ghetto life further blurred the distinctive roles of men and women as both genders were faced with an equal struggle to survive. This study evaluates how women responded to the endless disease, long hours of work, crowding, starvation, and death that were present in the ghettos. I found that in the Warsaw and Lodz ghettos, Jewish women were innovative, creative, and relentless in their desire to endure. Following the liquidation of the ghettos, the concentration camps segregated Jewish women from men. This study explores the horrors in the camps that were distinct to the female gender. The shaving ritual upon arrival at the camps, the fear of sexual assault, and children and motherhood, all contributed to Jewish women's suffering. Many have attributed survival to the product of luck, of having a friend or sister to live for, or trying to maintain some sense of human dignity. I found that survivors were either able to find meaning in their suffering, or were haunted by loss and traumatic memories indefinitely. Few sources address women who played a role in the fighting partisan movement. It was exceedingly difficult for women to be accepted within the partisans simply because they were women, and Jews. In most cases, a woman needed a male protector in the forests who would care for her in exchange for her services as a mistress. Life in the partisans was one of constant movement, fear of German assault, and torture and death if caught. Some people discredit studying the experience of women in the holocaust believing that gender isn't relevant considering men and women were targeted as Jews. It has been argued that separating the male and female narratives takes away from the suffering of Jewish people as a whole. This study doesn't seek to distract from the magnitude of Jewish suffering in the holocaust. My intention is to provide an understanding of how women specifically experienced life in the ghettos, the concentration camps, and in the partisans.

Type of Resource

Thesis

Rights Statement

In Honors Theses

Abstract

This thesis explores the unification of Germany in 1871 as a case study for successful political border drawing in the modern age. Germany's rise from 39 separate kingdoms into a single, stable, economic world power is interesting; it reflects a similar environment currently found in the Middle East and Africa. There, too, many smaller ethnic, religious, cultural, or tribal groups are found within a single country. However, why was Germany able to hold together, while many Middle Eastern and African countries struggle with constant internal strife? The rise of Germany into an industrial world power is best analyzed through the inspiration of Friedrich List's three economic stages of development: client state free trade, then, use of industrial tariffs, and last, full scale free trade. Germany's unification through these stages, rather than advancement through nobility or Imperialism, was a key factor in Germany's ability to compete with the more advanced countries of England and France. With no single noble family strong enough to unify Germany during the Middle Ages, Germany remained too economically inefficient to advance as quickly as England and France. However, during this period from 1815-­?1834 the Germans unknowing began to develop state building by amalgamation. The genius of this strategy was the slow organization into small trade groups, then these small trade groups into larger trade groups, until a single politically sovereign group, known as a state, is formed. This progression from small and medium economic, to large political bodies has several important advantages: reduction of voices in negotiation, increase in economy for all groups involved throughout the process, and, low and compartmentalized risk if a politico-­?economic strategy fails. List's second stage of development occurred in Germany between 1834-1871. The 1834 creation of the Zollverein was the first major breakthrough for the economic advancement of Germany. It brought most of the German states into one unified economic zone, which greatly strengthen both internal and, especially, international trade. Centralizing the parameters of trade (measurements, currency exchanges, etc.), was the key factor that created economic growth. The creation of the Zollverein also allowed the political growth of Prussia, which later gained enough power to unify Germany. Effectively, Prussia filled the previous lack of a single powerful noble family in Germany. With economic superiority, came the growth of Prussia's politico-­?military power. However, because economic prosperity was brought by the Prussian system, most German states willingly joined. Thus, Prussia mainly had to exert her physical power externally, towards Denmark, Austria, and France. Between 1864-­?1871 the military benefits of joining Prussia were so great that most German states joined willingly, some grudgingly. Either way, with the foundation of the German Empire in 1871 all members felt great benefits. In the time period between 1871-1914 Germany began the transition from List's second stage to his third. In one form or another Germany continued to protect her domestic industry during this time period; Otto von Bismarck even extended tariffs to agriculture. However, the growth of Germany's advanced science-based economy, which was greatly helped by government support and business cartels, gave Germany a competitive foothold in the world economy. In addition, 1871-1914 was a period of huge cultural growth, which later provided the cement to hold the German Kingdoms together. Thus, the slow political progress from 1815-1871 created a culture and economy that held Germany together during the two World Wars.

Type of Resource

Thesis

Rights Statement

In Honors Theses

Type of Resource

Thesis

Rights Statement

In Honors Theses

Abstract

Today the relationship between the United States and Israel includes multiple bi?lateral initiatives in the military, industrial, and private sectors. Israel is Americas most established ally in the Middle East and the two countries are known to possess a "special relationship" highly valued by the United States. Although diplomatic relations between the two countries drive both American and Israeli foreign policy in the Middle East today, following the establishment of the State of Israel the United States originally did not advance major aid and benefits to the new state. While current foreign policy focuses on preserving the strong relationship with the only democratic nation in the Middle East, Israel, during the Cold War era the United States global foreign policy focused on combating Soviet Influence and containing the spread of communism. The early relationship between the United States and Israel was contrived around United States Cold War strategies that dominated U.S. foreign policy for the greater part of the 20th Century. All the presidents ranging from Woodrow Wilson to Harry Truman all supported the proposition of a Jewish national home in the Middle East. American support for Israel was not engineered by domestic lobbies or the American Jewish population, but emerged as a strategic relationship during the Cold War era. American support for Israel was originally predicated upon early commitments the United States upheld including the Balfour Declaration of 1917 and United Nations Resolution 181 (1947) which both dictated a form of a Jewish home in the area known as Palestine. In order to maintain an image of American credibility, and out maneuver the Soviet Union, the United States became the first nation to extend de facto recognition of the State of Israel on May 14, 1949. The United States policy during the first decade of Israel's existence was reflexive of greater global U.S. foreign policy focused on combating Communist expansion. In its early years, Israel originally adopted a policy of non?alignment with both the Western and Soviet Powers in order for the state to receive opportunities available from both blocks. The United States took a hesitant approach towards Israel and focused on building relationships with the Arab states in the Middle East. American Cold War policy dictated American policy towards Israel. The origins of the American affiliation with Israel derive from Israel's commitment to anti?communism following Arab alignment and arms cooperation with the Soviet block in the 1950's. In order to maintain a balance of Western and Soviet power in the Middle East the United States shifted its attitude towards Israel and sought to strengthen the two countries relationship. The sale of Hawk anti-aircraft missiles marked the turning point in the U.S.?Israel relationship and led to the bi-national military collaborations the two countries are known for today.

Type of Resource

Thesis

Rights Statement

In Honors Theses

Abstract

Poland is home to arguably the most loyal and devout Catholics in Europe. A brief examination of the country's history indicates that Polish society has been subjected to a variety of politically, religiously, and socially oppressive forces that have continually tested the strength of allegiance to the Catholic Church. Through the partition period, the Nazi and Soviet invasions during World War II, and the institution of communist power following the close of World War II, the Polish people met religious hostility that threatened to permanently sever Polish faith to the Catholic Church. However, despite attempts to break Polish allegiance to the Catholic Church, Polish faith did not diminish, and in the case of the communist era, it strengthened. This thesis will argue that Polish loyalty to the Catholic Church is a product of historical associations of Catholicism as a symbol of national identity in addition to the guidance and leadership provided by a number of prominent Polish Catholic officials. With these two factors, the Catholic Church in Poland was able to overcome ideological and logistical barriers placed by the communist regime in order to maintain feelings of hope and optimism among the Polish people.

Type of Resource

Thesis

Rights Statement

In Honors Theses

Abstract

Through the lens of access, quality, and cost I will present and outline the various historical approaches to health care reform, how they have contributed to the formation of our current system, and a preliminary evaluation of the Affordable Care Act. Specifically, I will be analyzing these major reforms in relation to, and their impact, on healthcare payers and providers. By understanding prior health care reform, it will provide the necessary foundation to properly investigate the prospects of success for the ACA. In order to address these questions, I investigated the evolution of the medical professional and modern hospitals, the attempts at major health care reform during the 20th and 21st Century, as well as the design of the contemporary health care system. Furthermore, I outlined the problems that precipitated the call for the ACA, as well as analyzed the formation of reform and its provisions. Lastly, utilizing existing economic literature focused on the ACA, I attempt to discover preliminary trends to gain a better understanding of the ACA's effectiveness, its prospects for the future, and the ways in which it may require reform.

Type of Resource

Thesis

Rights Statement

In Lucille W. Brown and Stephen M. Berk Oral Histories of American Jews

Abstract

Roman Vishniac talks about his life as a Jewish child and young man in pre-World War I Russia. Vishniac is well known for his stunning photographs which captured Jewish life in Europe before and during World War II.

Type of Resource

Conversation

Rights Statement

In Lucille W. Brown and Stephen M. Berk Oral Histories of American Jews

Abstract

In this interview, Sarah remembers her family's life in Bialystok and the conditions that led to their leaving for the United States in 1911.

Type of Resource

Conversation

Rights Statement

In Lucille W. Brown and Stephen M. Berk Oral Histories of American Jews

Abstract

Morris Fischer tells his story of rising up from poverty and hard times which came from war, revolution and pogroms. His mother died young, leaving six small children. His father, a laborer, had trouble feeding his young family.

Type of Resource

Conversation

Rights Statement

In Lucille W. Brown and Stephen M. Berk Oral Histories of American Jews

Abstract

Morris (Moishe) Wax remembers his father as a pious man who was a little "progressive" for his times. Before World War I, he'd had a thriving atelier making the latest Paris fashions for the landowner ladies in their district. World war came, then the Russian Civil War, chaos, starvation, and pogroms. Morris' father died in 1922 as a result of the injuries inflicted on him by pogromchiks. With no father to provide for them, Morris, his mother and sister hoped to join an older brother and sister in the United States. They were able to get to Antwerp, Belgium where they awaited passage to the United States. While in Antwerp, the U.S.passed the Immigration Act of 1924 limiting the number of Jews, along with other groups, who could enter the country. Morris' mother was allowed to go. Her two teenage children stayed in Antwerp for three more years.

Type of Resource

Conversation

Rights Statement

In Lucille W. Brown and Stephen M. Berk Oral Histories of American Jews

Abstract

At eight years old, Paula Zollman left the town of her birth, Rzeszow, when that town was caught in the middle of the First World War and the family packed up and moved to Berlin. After some early struggles, Paula's parents made a successful business in selling eggs and cheese.

Type of Resource

Conversation

Rights Statement