History

Welcome

Hello! I want to tell you how pleased we are to welcome you to Youngstown State University and to the History Program. With a faculty of nine, we offer courses across a broad range of subjects and have something to interest everyone.

I hope that you will drop by and visit us on the fifth floor of DeBartolo Hall, Room 519. Please feel welcome to stop in for advice, general information, or just to chat. You may also want to watch for notices from our Student Clubs -- History Club, Phi Alpha Theta, and the Club for Jewish Culture -- about scheduled events throughout the semester.

I encourage you to drop by the Youngstown Historical Center of Industry and Labor located at 151 Wood Street on the southern edge of campus. The museum is managed by the History Program, and you and your guests are very welcome to visit us there. (Your student ID grants you free admission at any time.)

Dr. Brian Bonhomme
History Program Coordinator

Mission

The Program of History at Youngstown State University is dedicated to the discovery and dissemination of knowledge about the past, to edify our present, and better plan for the future. The program promotes and integrates scholarship, teaching, and service to educate its undergraduate and graduate students. It promotes civic engagement with the wider community. Through the teaching of history in and out of the classroom the program fosters understanding and appreciation of diversity and provides a global perspective. Our aim is to examine and disseminate knowledge of the past and of the nature of its study and reconstruction through a variety of educational experiences and historical methodologies and to train future scholars of history.

The student majoring in history must complete, in addition to the general University requirements, the group requirements outlined on the curriculum sheet. It is recommended that the student select courses with assistance from an advisor, since certain courses are preferable to others according to whether one contemplates graduate study, secondary school teaching, or any of the many other careers for which History provides excellent preparation.

The Bachelor of Arts in History can be completed in eight semesters if students average 16 hours per semester.

For more information, visit the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, which houses the History Program, in DeBartolo Hall, room 519 or contact us at (330) 941-3452.

Art students complete mural in future Deibel Park

The future Deibel Park has become the home of the newest mural completed by students in YSU’s Department of Art. The mural, which sits at 60 feet across and 13 feet high and features 24 life-like penguin paintings, was designed and painted by art students Rachel Hritz and Verena Bo Gyeong Son. Professor of art Dragana Crnjak advised the students throughout completion of the mural.

McDonough Museum to celebrate 30th anniversary with virtual event

The McDonough Museum of Art will celebrate the 30th anniversary of its grand opening with a virtual celebration Saturday, October 16, 2021 at 7:00 PM. For 30 years the museum has provided Youngstown with a space that houses artist lectures, holds concerts and exhibitions, and showcases the work of students enrolled in courses through the YSU Department of Art.

“Almost, Maine” production to open 58th season of University Theatre

YSU’s University Theatre will open its 58th season with a production of the romantic comedy “Almost, Maine” beginning Friday, September 24, 2021 through Sunday, October 3 in Spotlight Theatre at YSU’s Bliss Hall. The season will continue with productions of “Little Shop of Horrors” and “The Music Man,” along with winter and spring cabarets.

Pulitzer Prize-winning composer to kick off 2021-22 Pipino Performing Arts season

A Pulitzer Prize-winning composer, a Grammy Award-winning tenor, a classical guitarist, and a toy piano artist are among the performers who will be featured in the fourth season of the Donald P. Pipino Performing Arts Series, presented by Youngstown State University’s Cliffe College of Creative Arts. The season will open Wednesday, September 22, 2021 at 7:00 PM with a virtual presentation by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Lang.

YSU Youth Orchestra announces auditions for 2021-22 season

YSU's Dana School of Music has announced that they will be holding auditions for the upcoming YSU Youth Orchestra’s 2021-22 season. The Youth Orchestra is open to all students aged 13 – 18 by audition and presents two concerts annually. Directed by associate professor of music Michael Butler and assistant director Richard Smrek, the group meets weekly on Monday evenings at YSU’s Bliss Hall.

Lit Youngstown seeks input for second segment of Andrews Avenue Memory Mural

Lit Youngstown, in collaboration with the YSU Department of Art, is seeking input for the second segment of the Andrews Avenue Memory Mural. Organizers are seeking memories from current and past residents of the Andrews Avenue – Logan Avenue corridor, which is set to be the focus of the next section of the mural. 

Local arts and cultural leaders form The Cultural Alliance coalition

Leaders of some of the most influential arts and cultural organizations across the Mahoning and Shenango valleys announced the formation of The Cultural Alliance Friday, July 16, 2021. The group is a new coalition aimed at advancing arts and culture in eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania.

“I Know Where I’ve Been” encore performance celebrates Juneteenth holiday

YSU’s Dana School of Music celebrated this year’s Juneteenth holiday with an encore of the virtual performance “I Know Where I’ve Been,” which was first recorded and released in June 2020 for Juneteenth. The video features adjunct professor of voice and director of the YSU Gospel Choir Jaron LeGrair singing the popular song from the musical "Hairspray" alongside members of Voice of YSU.

Exhibit to commemorate works of three art professors

The McDonough Museum of Art will celebrate the work and memory of three YSU art professors in a new exhibit titled “In Memoriam” beginning Friday, June 11, 2021 and running through Saturday, July 24. The exhibit will feature works by Al Bright, Jack Carlton, and Michael J. Walusis. Also on display will be the Pittsburgh-based exhibition “Anthropology of Motherhood.”

Alumnus Jeff Grubbs interviews for Jazz Alumni Spotlight program

Jeff Grubbs (B.A., ’86) joined the YSU Jazz Alumni’s “Spotlight On…” program for a virtual interview on his musical journey Thursday, May 27, 2021. Grubbs has been a member of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.

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