All events, unless specified otherwise, are open to the public and free to attend.
Department Seminar Series
Join us as we invite guest speakers from some of the nation’s top universities to share their perspectives on history. The Department of History hosts several seminars throughout the academic year.
Pierson Lecture
The annual Pierson Lecture brings distinguished scholars to the University of Oregon to share their work regarding cultural, intellectual, and political life. Founded in 1993, the lecture series honors UO alumni Stan and Joan Pierson, both exemplary citizens with a long history of community involvement.
Announcing the 2026 Pierson Lecture
Estelle Freedman, Edgar E. Robinson Professor in U.S. History (Emerit) at Stanford University and co-founder of Stanford’s Program in Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Tuesday, May 12, 2026
3:30-5:00 pm
Location: Gerlinger Alumni Lounge
Speaking of Sexual Violence: Voices from Women’s Oral Histories in the Twentieth Century U.S.
How can historical research contribute to understanding silence and speech about sexual violence? Based on her analysis of a large text database of oral history collections, Professor Freedman will explore how women from diverse backgrounds remembered and reacted to unwanted sexual advances during the twentieth century. She applies both quantitative digital humanities tools and qualitative close readings of relevant women’s narratives to consider two topics: stories of sexual assault handed down in African American families, and varied responses to educational and workplace harassment.
History Pub
Enjoy local beer, wine, food, and history at the Eugene History Pub Talks, an event series cosponsored by the History department and the Lane County History Museum. Each month we invite scholars and experts to present talks on historical events, concepts, and research.
History Showcase
Each spring, history majors display their work in a poster exhibit during our annual celebration of undergraduate research and achievements. The showcase is also an opportunity to acknowledge students who have earned special departmental awards and honors.
History of Women in Science Symposium
History of Women in Science Symposium
Monday, November 13, 2023
Location: Browsing Room, Knight Library, 1501 Kincaid Street.
This symposium brings seven speakers to campus to tell the often forgotten stories of women in science from the 16th-century to the present. This history can shape how budding and practicing scientists imagine themselves, the arc of their careers, their fields, and even their subjects of research and the way in which it is pursued. Through the history of science, we can re-imagine how science can connect to social justice.
Co-sponsors: College of Arts and Sciences, The Center for the Study of Women in Society, Knight Library, Special Collections and University Archives, the Vice Provost for Research and Innovation, Oregon Humanities Center, the Center for Science Communications Research, Women in Graduate Sciences, Alliance for Diversity in Science and Engineering, and the Departments of History, Philosophy, and Earth Sciences.
