Overview
Our departmental lecture series, begun during the 1971-72 academic year, is named in honor of John C. Pflaum (1904-1975) who was a member of the History faculty from 1946 to 1972. Thanks to the generosity of his former students and colleagues, each spring a distinguished scholar is invited to campus to speak on a significant issue in history.
ºìÐÓÖ±²¥app John C. Pflaum
John C. Pflaum (1904-1975) was a professor of history with special interests in the Civil War, the European origins of the First World War, and early Carlisle. He held the Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching in recognition of his popularity with students during his Dickinson tenure which began in 1946. He received his master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania where he also taught for three years after spending six years on the faculty of Temple University. During his lifetime, he was a most voracious reader–especially a devourer of history, memoirs, biography, and prose literature. Above all, John Pflaum was a born teacher who inspired fanatical devotion in several generations of Dickinsonians. His teaching placed an emphasis upon precision and fact and evidenced love of conventional art and literature. His enthusiasm and dedication are best described in his own words, “The sheer pleasure of teaching, the fun I’ve had in the average class--this is what I remember more than anything else. My heart is in the lecture room. It’s almost a shame to take the money.”
2025-26 Pflaum Lecture: Wed., October 15, 6PM in the Stern Great Room
Prof. Elizabeth Ellis, Associate Professor of History at Princeton University, will present the 2025-26 Pflaum Lecture on Wednesday, October 15 at 6PM in the Stern Great Room. Prof. Ellis teaches early American and Native American history as well as Indigenous Studies. She is a scholar of early North America with a focus on diplomacy, borderlands, cross cultural exchange, and Indigenous politics. Her first book, , examined the formation of Native American nations in the Lower Mississippi Valley. In addition to her work on early American history, Liz also writes about contemporary Indigenous issues and politics. She is committed to tribally engaged historical work and collaborative research practices that support Native self-determination. She is Peewaalia and an enrolled citizen of the Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma, and currently serves as the Tribal History Liaison for her nation.
The title and description of Prof. Ellis's upcoming talk will be posted to this site in mid- to late-September, 2025.