What happened to Midwestern history?
In places like the West, New England and the South, universities and professors are dedicated to studying regional histories. But in the Midwest, not so much.
Jon Lauck, a history professor and author of “The Lost Region: Toward a Revival of Midwestern History,” says the field of Midwestern history used to be robust. Yet, after World War II, the field declined to the point where there was no academic journal or association dedicated to it.
Lauck is also president of the Midwestern History Association. The organization is holding its second annual Midwestern History Association conference June, 1 at the Hauenstein Center at Grand Valley State University.
Lauck joined us to discuss why Midwestern history declined, its cultural importance, and the current efforts to revive it.
