APSU welcomes authors, Vietnam War veterans Bud Alley and Jim Lawrence to discuss battle at Landing Zone Albany
August 30, 2015
Clarksville, TN – On September 9th, authors Bud Alley and Jim Lawrence will visit the campus of Austin Peay State University to discuss their experiences during one of the most violent clashes in America’s involvement in the Vietnam War.
The talk, scheduled for 4:00pm in the Sundquist Science Center, room E106A on the University campus, titled “The Ghosts of the Green Grass and Reflections on LZ Albany,” focuses on the battle at Landing Zone Albany. [Read more]
APSU professor Thompson researching history of World War II POWs in Tennessee
August 12, 2015
Clarksville, TN – As thousands of American men traveled overseas to fight for the Allied forces during World War II, a surprising number of captured Axis prisoners of war (POWs) were making the opposite intercontinental journey.
A total of 425,000 Axis (Germany, Italy and Japan) POWs were held all across the United States in nearly every state. This marked the first time since the Civil War that large numbers of POWs were held on American soil.
APSU professors Antonio Thompson, Christos Frentzos complete work on two-volume study of American military history
January 4, 2015
Clarksville, TN – The discussion of American military history can be approached in a seemingly endless variety of ways. With so many tactical, political and societal viewpoints to be considered, even the most educated scholars or enthusiastic students can become lost in a sea of information.
But what if the focus was narrowed to the people, places and events at the core of these historic conflicts?
Austin Peay State University well represented at Ohio Valley History Conference
October 30, 2013
Clarksville, TN – The Austin Peay State University Department of History and Philosophy put on a strong showing at the annual Ohio Valley History Conference at Western Kentucky early this month with several faculty members giving presentations.
APSU Provost Lecture Series to discuss Axis POWs
November 15, 2012
Clarksville, TN – An Austin Peay State University history faculty member whose research focuses on prisoners of war (POW) will talk about the Axis POWs held in the U.S. during World War II as part of the next Provost Lecture Series at APSU.
Dr. Antonio Thompson, associate professor of history, will present at 3:00pm, Thursday, November 15th in the Morgan University Center, Room 303. All sessions of the Provost Lecture Series are free and open to the public. [Read more]
APSU Military History Alum earns prestigious fellowship with U.S. Customs and Border Protection
May 10, 2012
Austin Peay State University
Clarksville, TN – Last year, Maj. Paul Witkowski of the United States Army was stationed on the Afghanistan/Pakistan border, trying to keep enemy combatants and supplies from passing through the region. It was a tricky assignment, given the province’s mountainous terrain and the absence of a fence or other obstruction between the two countries.
Later this summer, he’ll take what he learned in that war zone to Washington, D.C., where he’ll spend a year with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency as part of an Interagency Exchange Program fellowship. [Read more]
Austin Peay State University professors developing massive, two-volume military and diplomatic history textbook
February 16, 2012
Clarksville, TN – In the study of history, certain events stand out. If you’re examining the Civil War, for example, the Battle of Gettysburg will likely appear most often in textbooks and lectures. If it’s World War II that interests you, D-Day is a popular topic of choice.
But these events, while important, are just a sampling of history. What about the contributions Native American soldiers made during World War I, or the role of African-Americans during the American Revolution? For two Austin Peay State University professors, it’s sometimes frustrating locating textbooks that include the lesser known but equally important historical events.
APSU History Professor contributes to new scholarly work on Israel
November 1, 2011
Clarksville, TN – Early in the morning on May 31st, 2010, a group of Israeli commandos boarded a Turkish ship in the Mediterranean Sea, filled with pro-Palestinian activists. The boat was part of an aid-flotilla, seeking to break the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip. The commandoes planned to bring the ship into the nearby port of Ashdod, but a scuffle soon broke out between the soldiers and the passengers. When the shooting stopped, nine activists were dead and several soldiers were wounded.
The incident sparked an international crisis, with media outlets across the globe picking up the story. Dr. Christos Frentzos, an Austin Peay State University associate professor of history, watched the ongoing news coverage from a unique vantage point. He was in Israel during those tumultuous days as part of a counterterrorism fellowship, sponsored by the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies. [Read more]
APSU Professor to Discuss Israel and Counterterrorism at Public Lecture
August 31, 2010
Austin Peay State University assistant professor of history Dr. Christos Frentzos will deliver a public lecture on Israel and counterterrorism at 4:00pm, September 30th, in the campus’ Gentry Auditorium, located in the Kimbrough Building.
The lecture, sponsored by the APSU Phi Alpha Theta History Honor Society, will focus on Frentzos’ experiences this summer when he spent 10 days in Israel as part of a counterterrorism fellowship. [Read more]
APSU Professor Visits Israel for Counterterrorism Fellowship
July 1, 2010
On a scorching hot June afternoon, Dr. Christos Frentzos, Austin Peay State University assistant professor of history, stood in a small courtyard, talking with a rather charming stranger.
The gentleman, whose smile put his listener at ease, discussed American history and the Revolutionary War. He was extremely well versed in these subjects, and, aside from the summer heat, the encounter proved to be enjoyable.
That courtyard, however, was in the middle of an Israeli maximum-security prison. The charming stranger, Frentzos later learned, was a member of Hamas and the mastermind of a suicide bombing that killed 15 people and wounded 130 in a pizzeria in Jerusalem. Pictures of the carnage from that day in 2001, including bloodstained children’s high chairs, didn’t correspond with the well-groomed, polite man Frentzos met. [Read more]