Past Institutes

The Cold War: History, Literature, and Culture (2024 In-Person Institute)

From June 3–6, 2024, Humanities Texas partnered with the LBJ Presidential Library and the College of Liberal Arts at The University of Texas at Austin to hold a professional development institute for social studies and English language arts (ELA) teachers on the history, literature, and culture of the Cold War.

Curriculum

Content was aligned with the TEKS. The institute expanded participants' understanding of the history of the Cold War and its representation in literature and culture. Presentations on the history of the Cold War covered topics such as the origins of the Cold War; containment; the Cuban Missile Crisis; the Vietnam War; Nixon, China, and the Cold War; and the legacy of the Cold War. Presentations on literature and culture focused on the literature, film, music, and popular culture of the era.

Like all Humanities Texas teacher programs, the institute emphasized close interaction with scholars, the examination of texts, and the development of effective pedagogical strategies and engaging assignments and activities.

Faculty

Greg Barnhisel (Duquesne University) served as the faculty director for the institute. Faculty included Melissa Bradshaw (Loyola University Chicago), Jeffrey A. Engel (Southern Methodist University), Justin Hart (Texas Tech University), Sean Latham (The University of Tulsa), Mark Atwood Lawrence (LBJ Presidential Library), Kristin Matthews (Brigham Young University), Sheila Mehta (LBJ Presidential Library), Lien-Hang T. Nguyen (Columbia University), Howard Rambsy (Southern Illinois University Edwardsville), and Joshua Frens-String and Jeremi Suri of The University of Texas at Austin.

Location and Schedule

The institute took place at the LBJ Presidential Library from June 3–6, 2024. The schedule is available  here.

Sponsors

The institute was made possible with major funding from the State of Texas, with ongoing support from the National Endowment for the Humanities.