Thomas Smith

Office Hours:

Tuesday 10:50 - 12:00pm

Friday 10:50 - 12:00pm

Phone: (508) 213-2170
Office: Conant 309

Teaching Philosophy / Goals

My approach to teaching is to make the subject of history interesting by showing students that people who lived fifty, a hundred, or a thousand years ago were not much different than we are today. History is important because it helps us understand the times in which we live and should help us avoid some of the mistakes we have made in the past. Knowing nothing about history would be like living with amnesia or trying to choose a "fantasy" sports team without knowing anything about the past performance of "players." I take my subject seriously, but I also strive to make it relevant, interesting and fun.

Interests

I enjoy writing about history. My areas of interest are political, environmental and sports history. I have published two books (the latest is entitled Green Republican: John P. Saylor and the Preservation of America's Wilderness, University of Pittsburgh Press, 2006). My articles have appeared in history journals and in ESPN.com. I enjoy the outdoors -- hiking, tent camping, fishing, river-rafting. I am also a hardcore baseball fan (Dodgers).

Courses I Teach

World Civilizations I
World Civilizations II
American Civil War
America and Vietnam
The United States Since 1945
Seminar in History
The American West
The Age of Franklin D. Roosevelt