The Clio Society

The Clio Society

Welcome to the Clio Society!

We are friends of the History Department at The Ohio State University. Some of us are current and former students of the university; some of us earned degrees in history; others are current and former faculty members of the department; some of us have an interest in the History Department and its continued growth in excellence; and all of us love to read and talk about history. We range in ages from 18 to 88 and from history specialists to business people, lawyers, and other professionals who never lost their interest in history.

If you liked history before, then you are going to love it now.

We hope you will join us for our upcoming events:
 

"Postwar Decolonization and its Discontents," Lydia Walker

October 23, 2014
Noon - 1:00 p.m.
Live Streamed via Zoom

Registration

After the Second World War, national self-determination became a recognized international norm, yet it only extended to former colonies. Groups within postcolonial states that made alternative sovereign claims were disregarded or actively suppressed. This talk showcases their contested histories, highlighting little-known regions in South Asia and Southern Africa, marginalized individuals, and their hidden (or lost) archives. Personal connections linked disparate nationalist struggles across the globe through advocacy networks. However, these advocates had their own agendas and allegiances, which could undermine the autonomy of the claimants they supported. This webinar features material from Lydia Walker’s new book, States-in-Waiting (Cambridge, 2024) which illuminates the unfinished and improvised ways that the state-centric international system replaced empire, which left certain claims of sovereignty perpetually awaiting recognition. The book is available Open Access for free download.
 
Panelists:
Lydia Walker, Provost Scholar Assistant Professor, Seth Andre Myers Chair in Global Military History, Department of History, The Ohio State University.
Nicholas Breyfogle (Moderator), Professor of History and Director, Goldberg Center for Excellence in Teaching, The Ohio State University.

"What was Wrong with the Judges at the Salem Witch Trials?,” Matt Goldish

November 7, 2024
Noon - 1:00 p.m.
Live Streamed via Zoom

Registration

While most of the books written about the Salem witch trials concern those who were accused of witchcraft and their accusers, Matt Goldish's new book, Science and Specters at Salem, turns the spotlight on the judges. They were, after all, the men who decided to accept these accusations and move the trials forward. Historians have long wondered why the judges accepted evidence based on visions of apparitions and "touch tests.” Goldish offers some unexpected answers.
 
Panelists:
Matt Goldish, Samuel M. and Esther Melton Chair in History at The Ohio State University.
Nicholas Breyfogle (Moderator), Professor of History and Director, Goldberg Center for Excellence in Teaching, The Ohio State University.

"Remembering Bhopal: The World's Worst Industrial Disaster," Madhumita Dutta

November 25, 2024
Noon - 1:00 p.m.
Live Streamed via Zoom

Registration

Join us to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Bhopal Gas Disaster (2-3 December, 1984 in Bhopal, India), the world’s worst industrial disaster.  Dr. Madhumita Dutta will discuss the disaster, the immediate and ongoing health repercussions for the people of Bhopal, and their global legal and activist fight for justice and corporate accountability.
 
Panelists:
Madhumita Dutta, Associate Professor of Geography, The Ohio State University.
Nicholas Breyfogle (Moderator), Professor of History and Director, Goldberg Center for Excellence in Teaching, The Ohio State University.

 

Clio

In Greek mythology, Clio (Greek: Κλειώ, English: /ˈklaɪ.oʊ/) or Kleio, was the muse of history. Her name is related to the Greek word for "fame" or "renown" (kleos), since she oversaw the recording of the illustrious deeds of the past. Like all the muses, she was a goddess, a daughter of Zeus and Mnemosyne. According to different traditions, she was mother to Hyacintha, Hymenaeus, and Ialemus.