The Public Historian - the Development of the Subjects and Contributions of the Public Historian

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After the first issue was released in 1978 many began to see the need to increase the amount of Public History agencies in both public and private spheres of business and government. With reference to the article by James L. Martin concerning “The Value of Public History” the journal seemed to highlight many improvements that could be made to the profession and its connection with other industries. Martin is quite outspoken about the success of the first volume and even though he wasn’t working in the Public History field when the article was written his opinion amongst other Public History professionals was widely accepted. He was “personally convinced of the value of public history and the need to increase its use by governmental agencies.”[3] He therefore echoed the likes of Kelley and Grele who believed the Public Historian needed to improve connections with these groups and as a result increase the scope of the entire profession. Public History was, in a way, still a very new field during this journals early publication so the desire being expressed for an increase into the use of these historians is understandable. James Martin was an analyst for a Japanese international trading company and although he may not be doing work directly related to history in his profession his PhD in Public History has allowed him to achieve much success when analysing American political and economic environments. Martin’s success in a field that utilises his skills as an analyst and researcher is exactly what Public Historians should look to achieve in the private sector. For every company needs a strong understanding of historical trends in one way or another, giving a rise to the need for a strong professional approach to history in business and government which the public historian has the monopoly in fulfilling the roles of these different fields. Furthermore, Martin writes that “The Public Historian can assist by demonstrating both the value and the use of Public History, especially for local agencies”[4] involved in any venture where the preservation or understanding and analysis of history is desired. In this way The Public Historian journal was already having a profound impact on its field for as soon as the first publication was printed many began to see the need public history had for such a journal. A place where scholars and Public Historians can share their scholarly views and perspectives with the entirety of the Public History profession as well as voice any concerns they may have for the future of the industry and the many opportunities Public History has in preserving the history of other professions and communities.

As mentioned previously this journal has included articles from practically every possible perspective of Public History within America. From discussing the tenants of Public History to actually showing the analysis and results of research papers and other scholarly articles and even going as far as including a book review section for every issue of every volume. And although the format of the journal has never really changed several special issues were released over the course of the journal’s history which would focus on key subjects the journal wished to take up at that time. It is interesting to note however; that these special issues like Vol. 21 No. 3, Vol. 18 No. 4, Vol. 14 No 4 and Vol. 13. No. 3 were all published before the new millennia and the journal has only released one issue since 1999 that has a key theme or focus, Vol. 32 No. 1 which takes a closer look at state violence and its consequences.

The work of Public Historians within the governmental and business worlds could definitely mentioned as a theme or focus of The Public Historian journal, besides the already obvious trend towards analysis of the Public History profession in general, as many of its articles contain theories and analysis as to how the profession should handle itself outside the reigns of academia where the same skills can be applied but with a much different result. In the very first volume of the journal Richard G. Hewlett’s article: “The Practice of History in the Federal Government” addresses the work of Public Historians within government along with several other important issues facing the historical profession. Although his article is centered around government historical works he makes his first argument centered around the plight facing history in the latter years of the 20th century. He sees “the job shortage, the declining enrollment in history and liberal arts courses in colleges and secondary schools, and the growing interest of historians in non-academic careers are all symptoms of a crisis in the profession”[5]. It is this crisis that The Public Historian journal combats, in a way, through its various articles outlining the differences between academic history and public history and the many opportunities and prospects historians have in the various different industries and corporations around the world. Also combatting this crisis is the education of new historians in more progressive and applicable skills in research analysis and information management. Hewlett sees this problem being created out of the long use of history as just an academic practice and not an applicable skill to other areas of business and work. He writes: “since the turn of the century the academic historian has dominated the profession, so much so that until very recently it was almost impossible to envision that an historian could be anything but a college or university professor who taught history or did scholarly research in academic surroundings”[6] and it was this stigma that made getting hired as a historian in any other field outside of academic research almost impossible. It is this perception of histories uses within society that this journal had the greatest impact on as with the publication continued publication of articles pertaining to historical work within the government and the private sector and not just work within academia itself. It is the publication of historical work in non-historical fields that has made The Public historian successful as a journal, for it provides article after article of historical studies making a difference within different societies whether it be for a corporation or a community.

This “usefulness” historians pose to other professions as analysts and researchers is well outlined by Robert Pomeroy in “Historians’ Skills and Business Needs”, another early article from the journal, which posits “the successful conduct of business requires the use of skills well known to trained historians, skills no different from those which academia values: command of current and past knowledge; facility to synthesize and interpret; ability to carry out independent research and reach valid conclusions; bibliographic, literary,