History, Philosophy & Religious Studies Masters Theses

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Shattering the Color Barrier: Black Students, White Colleges, and the Story of Project E-Quality at Moorhead State College (1968-1974)
(North Dakota State University, 2005) Vanorny, Hannah Mae
During the late 1960s and early 1970s, many predominantly white colleges began admitting larger numbers of black students. According to a 1974-1975 University of Michigan study, these schools shared similar predisposing factors and went through the same precipitating events on their journeys toward increased black enrollment. In addition, after the new students arrived, all of the schools experienced tension as they encountered similar problems and worked to find solutions. Moorhead State College (MSC), in Moorhead, Minnesota, was a white school that began trying to attract more minority students with a recruitment program called Project E-Quality. The program enrolled over 120 minority students, many of them black, between 1968 and 1974. The influx of black students at MSC had a significant impact on the school population as well as on the surrounding white community. The program helped break down racial barriers and stereotypes, as many whites and some blacks encountered people of a different race for the first time. By voicing grievances, forming their own groups, expressing cultural pride, and fighting for change, MSC black students left a lasting impact on the college.
A Survey of Certified Athletic Trainers: The Report of Skin Infections Incidence
(North Dakota State University, 2009) Wilde, Ashley Ruth
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the common types of skin infections occurring in United States athletes within the past year and the types of athletes that are most likely to contract them. Surveys were constructed online and with the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) help sent out to 1,000 athletic trainers. A total of 151 athletic trainers completed the survey reporting 213 athletes with skin infections. Data analysis consisted of using Chi Square to test the frequencies, with a significance level set at p < 0.05. The results revealed a significant difference between the different types of skin infections, the level of competition and sports most affected, and among the most common method of contraction. However, there was no significance found between males or females having a higher probability to contract skin infections. MRSA was the most reported type of skin infection, having a high incidence rate in almost every level of competition, and mostly reported in football players. Ringworm was the second most reported skin infection, with a high number reported in high school athletes, and a high prevalence in wrestlers. Participants reported that the average length of time to report was < 1 - 2 days and that the most common method of contraction was person to person (76) next to "unknown" (77). In conclusion, while additional research needs to be completed to understand the trends in the different sports teams and methods of contraction, this research agreed with most of the current literature available. Additionally, as the number of these types of skin infections continue to increase, education for athletes, coaches, and health professionals is imperative to prevent skin infections from spreading.
Beryl Levine: North Dakota's first female State Supreme Court justice
(North Dakota State University, 2009) Stanley, Cody Benard
The intent of this thesis is to explore the life and perspective of the North Dakota State Supreme Court's first female justice, Beryl J. Levine. The overarching question throughout this thesis is, whether or not, because she was the first, Levine added a new voice to the court. This analysis begins with a biography of Levine. This biography will illustrate how Levine's knowledge and world views were affected by the environment that she grew up and lived in. The subsequent section deals with Levine's rulings on divorce cases. Levine had a unique perspective on divorce law; specifically in the areas of child custody, alimony and property distribution; she deviated from the court's majority on several occasions. The next part focuses on Levine's work to reduce gender discrimination in North Dakota. Levine worked to eliminate gender discrimination through many different methods. Once these three areas of Levine's life and work are looked at as a whole, it will be demonstrated that Levine added a new perspective to the North Dakota State Supreme Court.
Canadian Confederation andAusgleich: A Comparative Case Study in Imperial Devolution as Imperial Rule and the Effects on National Formation, 1867-1918
(North Dakota State University, 2010) Carter, Thomas Lachlan
Scholarly thinking on empires is changing. These scholars see empires as flexible states which are fully capable of meeting the challenges of modernity. This newer line of scholarship challenges the standard narrative of the emergence of nations. Recent scholarship stresses that the history of successor states is not a complete break from the imperial past, but rather that the empires impacted the nature of both the successor states and the nations within. This thesis examines the Confederation of Canada and the Ausgleich, which resulted in the creation of the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary, as successful imperial responses to challenges facing each empire. The subsequent development of national consciousness and national identity among the Canadian and the Hungarian elites emerged as a constituent part of the empire, rather than as a challenge to imperial legitimacy.
Latin America Mission: An Exploration of Evangelical Growth in a Catholic Continent
(North Dakota State University, 2010) Ptacek, Cassandra Joy
This thesis strives to explore Evangelical Protestant growth in Latin America during the twentieth century through the example of Latin America Mission, a nondenominational, evangelical mission organization founded in 1921. A discussion of the evolution of Christianity in Latin America from the conquest through the twentieth century lays the groundwork for the establishment of Latin America Mission. Subsequent chapters discuss the foundations and practices of the Mission, focusing on its innovative and holistic approach to missions as well as its commitment to social work. Finally, an exploration of the social, political, and religious climate of Latin America provides a further exploration of the continued growth of Latin America Mission into the twenty-first century.
The Lost Environmentalists: The Struggle Between Conservative Christianity and the Environment in the 1970s
(North Dakota State University, 2010) Pogue, Neall, M.A.
This study examined the history of the relationship between conservative Christians and environmentalism during the 1970s. It illuminated how conservative Christians met environmental concerns in response to the Earth Day observance of 1970 and how their relationship with environmentalism evolved throughout the decade. This thesis is an aid in explaining present day conservative Christian perceptions of environmentalism on a national scale. Suggestions for future research were also offered.
Lucas Alaman and the Historians
(North Dakota State University, 2010) Gannon, Grael Brian
This study considers the life, thought, and work of Lucas Alaman, Mexican statesman and historian of the early nineteenth century, as seen by historians from his time to the present with reference to his political attitudes, his political activities, and the political philosophy revealed in his historical writings, with note also of his economic and cultural concerns. Other Mexican thinkers and leaders of the period wanted to cast off the Spanish past, whereas Alaman believed that the Mexican future should be built on that past. Considered by some the greatest mind of the era, even his enemies acknowledged his brilliance and erudition, but they considered him to be an unreconstructed reactionary. Most historians, however, have noted that, in such fields as education and economics, Alaman was years ahead of his time, that in many areas he was creative and innovative. It is the thesis of this paper that, in the consensus of the historians, Alaman was shaped by the enlightened and progressive, yet authoritarian regimes of the last Bourbon kings of Spain; that his ultimate commitment was a patriotic loyalty to Mexico, which nation he believed best served by law and order and peace under the exclusive and paternalistic control of an authoritarian central government. The historical evidence, as a whole, is compatible with the thesis.
The Effect of Title IX at the University of Nebraska at Omaha
(North Dakota State University, 2012) Sebranek, Sarah Jean
Title IX sought to end discrimination on the basis of gender in the realm of education and extra-curricular activities provided by academic institutions. This research examines the impact of Title IX at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and determines the success of the legislation. Title IX is a significant topic as it offered an equitable experience for females in an otherwise male dominated arena of athletics. The end result provides a case study on the effect of Title IX at a Midwestern public university, which begins in the 1920s and concludes in the early 2000s. Most importantly, the research gives the history of Title IX, focusing on the administrators, at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
But the Roots Remain: The Wisconsin Progressives in the Great Depression and Post-War Era
(North Dakota State University, 2012) McCollum, Daniel David
This work is concerned with the development of the Progressives, a political faction of the Republican Party which was active in Wisconsin during the first half of the 20th century, throughout the Great Depression, and the Post-War era. It was during this period that the Progressives broke with the Republican Party, formed the Progressive Party and gained control of the state from 1934 through 1938, before finally dissolving in 1946, with many members moving into the Democratic Party, where they rejuvenated that moribund state party. This work, furthermore, focuses on the those Progressive leaders who operated in Wisconsin’s northern counties, a region which had a long tradition of Progressivism, the influence they had upon the creation of the Progressive Party and the political realignment which followed its dissolution.
Our Sister Republic: Creating Mexico in the Minds of the American Public and the Role of the Press
(North Dakota State University, 2012) Ystebo, Derek
During the Mexican War, Americans radically transformed their ideas about Mexicans and Mexican-Americans. The Mexican War offered itself up as the first of such interactions between the neighboring republics. The Mexican during the War was met largely with criticism from the American public, a criticism aided by the work of the press. While a vast majority of the presses disparaged the Mexican populace on a variety of subjects, not all papers denigrated the Mexicans as some inferior population in need of assistance from the United States in order to survive and reach a proper level of civilization. Papers such as the Catholic and abolitionist presses sought to portray the Mexican in a more positive light. Analysis of these spheres of influence of the various presses offers up a genesis of the Mexican within the American imagination.
Drought, Depression, and Relief: The Agricultural Adjustment Wheat Reduction Program in North Dakota during the Great Depression
(North Dakota State University, 2012) Gostanzik, Brent Alan
The purpose of this thesis is to examine how the Agricultural Adjustment Wheat Reduction Program functioned in North Dakota from May of 1933 to January of 1936, why it ran so smoothly, and why it was such a success within the state. By using county Extension Agent reports that date from the time period this thesis uses an extensive number of primary sources that have not been used before. These reports, along with farmer journal accounts, newspaper articles, and Agricultural Adjustment Administration reports show that North Dakota wheat farmers openly embraced the policies of the Wheat Reduction Program and participated in it in higher numbers than any other state in the nation. The farmers embraced the program because the drought and economic depression they were facing left let them little choice, but also because the program did not seek to radically alter the structure of wheat farming in North Dakota.
Petroleum Exploration History in North Dakota to 1951
(North Dakota State University, 2013) Herz, Clarence Anthony
The delayed discovery of oil in North Dakota resulted from remoteness, environment, and economic disadvantage, three of the six themes of Elwyn B. Robinson. Initially, lacking outside capital, the local explorers turned to their communities from 1917 to 1935 to raise the capital necessary to search for oil. As a result a complex group united to raise the capital necessary, but did not discover oil. The Great Depression ushered in the era of outside capital from 1937 to the successful discovery of oil on April 4, 1951. During this entire exploration period the state legislature, restricted by a lack of tax revenue, was unable to properly fund the North Dakota Geologic Survey. The survey achieved only marginal success throughout this exploration period. This history of early petroleum exploration not only enhances public knowledge but also lays the groundwork for further research toward a complete history of the industry.
Ukraine: A Nation Without Heroes
(North Dakota State University, 2013) Vandrovec, Geoffrey
Ukraine's creation of national heroes reflects the challenges of nation-building after the fall of the Soviet Union. Since its independence in 1991, Ukraine has attempted to "rehabilitate" controversial political figures into national heroes in order to create a united national history. Nations have always depended on symbols and perhaps one of the most important symbols is that of a national hero. A person who fought and possibly died fighting for a national cause can unite and inspire future generations while legitimizing the necessity of the state. Along with inspiring faith and courage, the focus on national heroes manifests norms, goals, and are a medium for imposing those beliefs upon a society. While Ukraine has literary heroes, political figures are controversial. My research has focused on five figures: Bohdan Khmelnytskyi, Ivan Mazepa, Mykhailo Hrushevsky, Symon Petliura, and Stepan Bandera due to their attempts to build an independent state in Ukrainian history.
The Great Famine in Soviet Ukraine: Toward New Avenues of Inquiry into the Holodomor
(North Dakota State University, 2014) Reisenauer, Troy Philip
Famine spread across the Union of Social Soviet Republics in 1932 and 1933, a deadly though unanticipated consequence of Joseph Stalin's attempt in 1928 to build socialism in one country through massive industrialization and forced collectivization of agriculture known as the first Five-Year Plan. This study uses published documents, collections, correspondence, memoirs, secondary sources and new insight to analyze the famine of 1932-1933 in Ukraine and other Soviet republics. It presents the major scholarly works on the famine, research that often mirrors the diverse views and bitter public disagreement over the issue of intentionality and the ultimate culpability of Soviet leadership. The original contribution of this study is in the analysis of newly published primary documents of the 1920s and 1930s from the Russian Presidential Archives, especially vis-à-vis the role of Stalin and his chief lieutenants at the center of power and the various representatives at the republic-level periphery.
The Influence of the Hudson's Bay Company in the Exploration and Settlement of the Red River Valley of the North
(North Dakota State University, 2014) Croll, Earla Elizabeth
As beaver became scarcer in the east, the quest for Castor Canadensis sent traders into the northern plains. Reluctant explorers, traders looked for easier access and cheaper means of transport. Initially content to wait on the shores of the Bay, HBC was forced to meet their competitors in the natives’ homelands. The Red River Valley was easily accessed from Hudson’s Bay, becoming the center of the fur trade in the northern plains. HBC helped colonize the first permanent settlement west of the Great Lakes in the Red River Valley. Allowing white women and introducing cultivation into the area was a necessary change. The influence of the fur trade in North Dakota and of the Hudson’s Bay Company on the exploration and settlement of the Red River Valley cannot be overemphasized.
Padre Agustín Vijil and William Walker: Nicaragua, Filibustering, and the National War
(North Dakota State University, 2014) Halvorson, Chad Allen
The research involves an examination of the basis the National War in Nicaragua from 1854-1857. The purpose is to show how the social, cultural, and political antecedents led to the National War. This has been done by focusing on William Walker and Padre Agustín Vijil. William Walker was the American filibuster invited to Nicaragua in 1855 by the Liberals to aid them in the year old civil war with the Conservatives. Walker took control of the Nicaraguan government, first through a puppet president. He became president himself in July of 1856. Padre Agustín Vijil encountered Walker in October of 1855 and provided an example of the support given to Walker by Nicaraguans. Though Walker would be forced to leave Nicaragua in 1857, the intersection between these individuals sheds light on actions shaping the National War.
American Thought, Culture, and Neo-Noir in the Era of Postmodernity
(North Dakota State University, 2017) Quist, Thomas
The rise of postmodernism, following the fall of modernism after WWII, brought about new modes of thinking, understanding, and living in America. Postmodernity is often neglected or glanced over by historians. Those who mention it do it either in passing or use it as a pejorative, yet it has had huge effects and ramifications on American culture during the second half of the 20th century. By exploring the thought, culture, and film of a postmodern America a deeper connection between history and postmodernism is formed. The transitions from noir to neo-noir films (which mirrors the transition from modernity to postmodernity) offers an avenue into understanding postmodern thought and culture. By using film as an intermediary it becomes apparent how neo-noir films were postmodern artifacts being watched and absorbed by a postmodern society. By linking the changing postmodern thought to culture and film a greater understanding of historical postmodernity becomes apparent.
Caretakers of the Community's Past Volunteers in North Dakota Museums
(North Dakota State University, 2017) Lien, Amber
The bulk of museum studies research focuses on professionalized museums. Little research has been conducted on the challenges of small museums. This study looks at volunteers in small North Dakota museums. Sparsely populated North Dakota lacks the funds and manpower to professionally staff their rural museums. While it is especially difficult for museums to recruit younger volunteers because they tend to be more mobile and have constricted schedules, North Dakota’s small museums have adapted by staffing with older volunteers. Museums in Southwest North Dakota such as the Hettinger County Historical Society, Dakota Buttes Museum, and Mott Gallery of History and Art survive because older volunteers sustain their museums. These older volunteers do not always follow strict professional guidelines, but they do contribute life skills, knowledge of the community, and historical understanding to their work at the museums in North Dakota. Their contributions are vital to the survival of these museums.
The Emperors of Sport: Dominican Baseball during the US Occupation of the Dominican Republic, 1916-1924
(North Dakota State University, 2017) Larson, Karl
While baseball is typically associated with the United States for most Western readers, the sport was already being played in Cuba, Japan, and the Dominican Republic before the United States fully realized its own Major League system. During the First World War, the United States invaded and occupied Santo Domingo in an attempt to maintain hegemony in the Western Hemisphere. Dominican intellectuals in the capital city utilized baseball in their nation-building endeavor, seeking to prove that not only were they capable of performing their own westernization, but that Santo Domingo was the modern heir of ancient Athens in the New World.
Studies of the Venerable Bede, the Great Famine of 1315-1322, and Libraries in Prisoner of War Camps
(North Dakota State University, 2017) Raezer-Stursa, Trista Stephanie
This paper includes three studies about the Venerable Bede, the Great Famine of 1315-1322, and libraries in prisoner of war camps. The study of the Venerable Bede focuses on his views on and understanding of time, especially its relation to the Easter computus. The second study is a historiography of the Great Famine of 1315-1322, with an emphasis on the environmental aspects of the catastrophe. The third paper is a study of the libraries that were provided for German soldiers in prisoner of war camps in the United States during World War II, which includes an analysis of the role of reading in the United States’ attempt to re-educate the German prisoners.

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