I am from the town of Jerseyville, Illinois, which is about an hour and a half north of St. Louis (Go Cardinals!). I come from a military family with my parents both serving in the Army (my mom got out before I came along and my dad retired in 1994), which has given me many great memories and opportunities to travel. I have been to seven countries and twenty-five states over the years, as well as Washington, DC. I am both a conservative and a historian. First, a bit about my historical side.
I am a 2006 graduate of Illinois College, where I received a BA magna cum laude in History with minors in Economics and Geography. I am now attending the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, ND, where I am working towards my MA in History. Upon completion of my MA, I plan to stay at UND and pursue either my Ph.D. or Doctor of Arts in History. My historical interests lie in both military history and US history up through the Civil War, which is one of my favorite periods to research since there are so many primary source documents available.
I am involved in many organizations, including the Society for Military History, Army Historical Foundation, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, Sons of the American Legion (I serve as Squadron Historian for Squadron 157 out of E. Grand Forks), The Historical Society, and the Intercollegiate Studies Institute. I am also a Pre-Law member of Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, International. I recently joined the Grand Forks Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP), where I serve as Historian, Public Affairs Officer, and Moral Leadership Officer with the rank of Second Lieutenant.
I am also a member of the following academic honor societies: Phi Alpha Theta (History), Gamma Theta Upsilon (Geography), and Omicron Delta Epsilon (Economics). I also was named to Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities & Colleges in 2005 and 2006.
My non-academic experience consists of two internships. During the summer of 2005, I was an intern at the Lewis and Clark State Historic Site near Hartford, Illinois. This experience was quite rewarding as I was able to learn the ins and outs of museum operations, which will serve me well in the future. My other experience is of a more journalistic nature. From January to August of 2006, I worked as an unpaid intern for the History News Network, which has allowed me to publish articles and aid the online magazine in many ways. I encourage you to go to the website and contact editor Rick Shenkman if you are interested.
Now, as you may be aware by the name of this site, I also have a conservative side that is closely linked to my historical side. I have left historical organizations (namely the American Historical Association) for their left-wing bias and look at history through conservative eyes, which does not sit well with many historians. While in college, I was involved heavily with College Republicans, which allowed me to have fun. I have met Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, Col. Oliver North, and J.C. Watts at various speaking events. I have had dinner with Congressman Ray LaHood, Republican for the 18th District of Illinois. I see myself as a political and intellectual conservative, which is one reason why I am involved with the Intercollegiate Studies Institute. I would not mind being President someday, as America can always use a leader in the spirit of Ronald Reagan.
In addition to this site, I also maintain several other history related sites, my blogs Military History Blog, Civil War History, Frontier Battles, Conservative Historians, and my history forum The Herodotus Files, which I hope you will check out and, in the case of the forum, join.
