William S. Brockington, Jr.
Professor of History
(803) 648-6851, ext. 3223
billb@usca.edu
Education:
Bachelor of Arts in History - University of South Carolina,
1966.
Master of Arts in History - University of South Carolina,
1969.
Doctor of Philosophy in History - University of South Carolina,
1975.
Dissertation: "The Unionist Party and Irish Home Rule: Andrew
Bonar Law
and the Irish Home Rule Crisis, 1912-1914."
Non-Degree work
Universitat Tubingen, 1967-68 [history and religion]
USC-Aiken, 1980-88 [English, education, and religion]
University of the South, 1992 [theology]
Professional Experience:
Assistant Professor, USCA, 1975-81
Associate Professor, USCA, 1981-88
Professor, USCA, 1988-present
Selected Professional Activities
1. Published 32 articles and reviews in various professional
journals and/or historical compendia since 1975, including "Scottish Mercenaries
in the Thirty Years' War" (Proceedings of the South Carolina Historical
Association, 1986), pp. 41-47; "Scottish Military Emigrants in the
Early Modern Era" (Proceedings, 1991), pp. 95-101; "The Scots in
North America" and "The Scots-Irish in North America" (The Encyclopedia
of Multi-Culturalism, 1993), pp. 1489-1491 and 1492-1495; and "Celtic
Britain: A Redefinition" (Proceedings, 1995), pp.50-57.
2. Edited two books: Historic Sketches of Aiken (1985)
and The 76th Pennsylvania: A Civil War Regimental History (1988)
3. Editor, Proceedings, S. C. Historical Association,
1979-82, 1985-88, and 1996
4. Representing History to Scholars:
26 papers since 1984, including "Scottish Mercenaries in
the Thirty Years' War" (1986); "Scottish Military Emigrants in the Early
Modern Era" (1990); "The Scottish Diaspora and the American South: Celtic
Traditions Continued" (1990); "Expanding Professions in the Seventeenth
Century: Scottish Military Entrepreneurs in the Early Modern Era" (1991);
"Scottish Military Emigrants in the Early Modern Era: An Analysis of Demographic
Movement in the Early Modern Era" (1991); "Is Dixie Really Different?"
(1992); "Celtic Britain: A Redefinition" (1994); "A Scottish Mercenary
of the Thirty Years' War: An Analysis of Monro, his Expedition" (1996);
and "Scottish Emigration Patterns in the Early Modern Era: An Analysis
of Demographic Movement in an Emergent Society" (1996)
5. Representing History To the Community:
Over 300 public presentations since 1975, including: public
school classes, various civic organizations, "Let's Talk About It" [LTAI],
Elderhostels, S. C. Humanities Council [SCHC] Forums, and other presentations
to non-academic audiences. In addition to formal presentations, have been
a member of (and frequently served as an officer in) a number of local,
state, and regional historical organizations. Have worked in the community
in a number of other areas, particularly in historical preservation projects.
6. Participant and organizer of numerous conferences and
workshops for the teaching of history such as: hosted a statewide Conference
on the Teaching of History (1978); Workshop in Humanities Education (1979);
taught teacher education courses. Edited an anthology of classroom exercises
entitled "Making History Informative and Fun" (1994). Presented nine papers
on the teaching of history at various professional conferences.
7. President South Carolina Historical Association, 1990-91.
Secretary/Treasurer SCHA, 1991- . Vice-President Carolinas Symposium on
British Studies, 1996- .
8. Reader, AP European History Section of the Educational
Testing Service, 1996- .
9. Grants Received:
Teaching Grants - project director of seven grants totaling
$69,717 for various teaching and preservation projects. Grants dealt with
S.C., Southern history, and/or with teaching. These included: "Southern
Studies." NEH, $49,061, 1977-79; "South Carolina: Past, Present, and Future."
S. C. Committee for the Humanities [SCCH], $7666, 1978-79; "Living History
Symposium" SCCH, $1000, 1980; "Historic Aiken County" SCCH, $5790, 1986-87;
"Historic Aiken County" Local Government Board, $3500, 1987-89; "Historic
Aiken County" SCHC, $1400, 1989; and "The Computer in the Classroom" USCA,
$1300.
Research Grants - four USC grants totaling $7000 for research
projects in Scottish history, including a grant from USCA in 1988 for travel
to England and a Research and Productive Scholarship Award by USC-Columbia
(1990).
Public Forum Grants - See Teaching Grants above; S.C. LTAI
Advisory Committee - $250,000 grant 1992-1994 for lecture series on "Seeds
of Change" presented in S.C. public libraries.
With the exception of the NEH Pilot Grant [Southern Studies],
none of the above was accomplished through release time from my regular
teaching work load. All were accomplished without student aides, graders,
or graduate assistants.
Research in Progress
Scottish emigration patterns in the early modern era;
cultural diversity in Ulster in the 17th Century; and ethnicity and the
evolution of nationalism in the Celtic Fringe of the British Isles.
Honors and Awards
USCA Teacher of the Year 1990.
Council for Advancement and Support of Education [CASE] 1990
Professor of the Year in South Carolina.
Received the USCA Community Service Award in 1988.
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