The Center for Historical Studies invites faculty members and graduate students who work with historical materials to participate in an ongoing conversation about the core concerns of the historical discipline. Through various lecture series and focused workshops, the Center explores shared problems related to theory, methodology, and evidence. These events attempt to reach out beyond the particular concerns of various sub-fields and examine common intellectual concerns that energize the practice of history. The Center organizes its programs in cooperation with the members of the NU history department. But it also aspires to draw into its affairs a broader range of scholars and members of the Chicago community.

Annually CHS currently hosts

• eight to ten lectures for the History Department and invited guests,
• one to two public faculty/graduate workshops (mini-conferences),
• one to two international doctoral student workshops at locations outside the USA, jointly sponsored with foreign insitutions of higher learning,
• a public lecture on the history of the book, jointly sponsored with the University Library,
• receptions honoring the authors of new books, and lectures especially designed to help graduate students deal with professional challenges connected with the publication of monographs and articles.

Upcoming CHS events can be viewed by clicking on EVENTS on the CHS banner above.

Each year the Center selects two graduate students to serve as Fellows of the Center (see FELLOWSHIPS). These men and women are asked to organize one-day workshops. In 2007-2008 we had sessions on environmental history and social history. In 2008-1009 CHS will inaugurate a new program of international graduate student workshops (please click on CONFERENCES for more details).

For undergraduates CHS offers the opportunity and means to work closely with primary historical materials under the guidance of faculty, doing actual archival faculty research and learning how to transform raw data into historical interpretation. Our first undergraduate Leopold Fellows have been selected for 2008-2009. Please click on LEOPOLD FELLOWS to learn more.

The Center is currently administered by a director (T.H. Breen), an assistant director (Elzbieta Foeller-Pituch), and a faculty council. Questions should be directed via e-mail to: efp@northwestern.edu.

Our office is currently located at 1922 Sheridan Road, Room 103. The telephone is 847-467-0885.