The History of the

Trinity College History Department    

How does Trinity College compare with Wesleyan University?

Wesleyan University  1945-1946

There were about 823 students at Wesleyan University, during the 1945-1946 academic year.  This included regular students, as well as, students that were classified as 'Navy' students.  Trinity had 49 total faculty and 2  within the History Department, while three other professors taught a History class.   Wesleyan has about 70 total faculty, while the History Department had 4.  There were three US oriented courses and 11 European oriented courses taught.  The only other course was cross-listed as an economics course.

Students who studied at Wesleyan had the following requirements:

The college was split up into three concentration groups, History was grouped with Classical Civilization, Economics, Government, Philosophy & Ethics, and Religion, in group II.  Once a student became a Junior, they had to decide on a concentration and apply for acceptance to a major within the concentration.  They needed to take 5 courses, other than introductory courses, within their concentration, while only 2 of those courses could be taken outside their major. 

Wesleyan University 1954-1955

Trinity had 82 total faculty and 8 within the History Department.   Wesleyan has about 99 total faculty, while the History Department had 8.  There were three US oriented courses, 18 European oriented courses, and one course on Russian that was taught. 

Students who studied at Wesleyan had the following requirements:

The college was split up into three concentration groups, History was grouped with Western Civilization 1-2, Economics, Government, Philosophy, Psychology 7-8, and Religion, in group II.  Students planning to take advanced courses in history are advised to elect Western Civilization 1-2, Government 1-2, and Economics 1-2.  Majors are required to take History 1-2 and History 49-50 in partial fulfillment of Comprehensive requirements. Those who expect to undertake graduate work in history or law are advised to elect advanced courses in government and economics. They needed to take 5 courses, other than introductory courses, within their concentration, while only 2 of those courses could be taken outside their major. 

Wesleyan University 1960-1961

Trinity had 11 faculty members from the History Department.  They also had about 21% of the student population, gearing their education towards history.  There were 173 total faculty, with 14 within the History Department, at Wesleyan.  Wesleyan offered 8 courses on the US, 9 on 'Western' topics, and now offered 2 courses on Japan, one being a seminar.  There were also two courses that cross-listed to government and public affairs.  The school graduated 810 students over the whole year.  (There was no distinction of concentration of studies, within the college bulletin.)   

Students who studied at Wesleyan had the following requirements:

The college was still split into three main areas of concentration, with History grouped with Economics, Government, Philosophy, Public Affairs, Psychology 6, Religion, and Western Civilization.  Students needed to take a Sophomore seminar, plus 5 year-long course, with no more than two of the courses outside the major. One of those 5 courses should have been a Senior seminar, as well.  One of the three Sophomore seminars was on Far Eastern relations before and after the second World War.  

Wesleyan University 1969-1970

While Trinity college has 178 total professors and 14 within the History Department, Wesleyan University had 395 total professors, with 22 within the History Department.  Wesleyan was now offering four courses on Japan, five courses on China and Asia, two African courses, was well as a number of other non-traditional courses.   The college was also offering an American Studies major, as well as, a Latin American Studies major.

Students who studied at Wesleyan had the following requirements:

History Majors will be expected to fulfill a program of at least ten-semester courses. These ten courses should include as least three seminars, which should ordinarily be completed by the end of the junior year. Students may, however, take up to sixteen courses in the History Department. Suitable courses in other departments may be chosen to fulfill the ten-course requirement.

        Students had to concentrate in one of the following areas:

        1. American History
        2. Ancient, Medieval, or Renaissance Europe History
        3. Modern European History
        4. Asian and African History.
      

Wesleyan University 1989-1991

Trinity College had 240 professors, 25 were History professors.   Wesleyan University had 318 total professors, with 23 of them within the History Department.  The college, itself, now had two majors dealing with African studies,   Asian Languages, Woman's Studies, a Medieval Studies, as well as, Russian Literature and Language.  Wesleyan's broad range of studies, compared to Trinity's, could be due to the fact that Wesleyan is a University, where as Trinity is a College, and much smaller. 

Students who study history at Wesleyan have the following requirements:

1. H361: Theory and Practice of History

2. 10 courses at the 200-level of higher, of which 7 must be courses within the History Department and must include 2 seminars, one of which must be pre-industrial. 

3.  Students must concentrate on one of the following fields:

        1. American History
        2. Ancient, Medieval, or Renaissance Europe History
        3. Modern European History
        4. East Asian History
        5. European Imperialism and Third World History

     Each student must take 5 courses within their concentration

4.  There was also a research requirement.  Students had to either 1) do a Senior Honor's Thesis; 2) a Senior Essay; or 3) a Senior Research Seminar, Colloquium Seminar, or Survey.

Students were strongly advised to learn a language, as well.

Wesleyan University 1999-2000

Compared to the 1,800 students here at Trinity college, Wesleyan University has about 2,700 students. Trinity has about 205 total faculty and about 22 within the department. Wesleyan has about 350 total faculty, while the History Department had 24.

The History Department at Wesleyan has split the department into the following
areas:

1. Africa, Asia and Latin America: 2 main advisors and 4 professors that teach the subject
2. Europe: 1 main advisor and 9 professors that teach the subject
3. Gender and History: 1 main advisors and 5 professors that teach the subject
4. Intellectual History: 1 main advisors and 5 professors that teach the subject
5. Religion and History: 1 main advisors and 8 professors that teach the subject
6. United States: 1 main advisors and 6 professors that teach the subject

The History Department covers a wide variety of areas, with regards to the faculty’s studies and area of
interests, it would seem that there is an emphasis in European and Religious studies


Students who study history at Wesleyan have the following requirements:

The minimum requirements given below take effect with the Class of 2002; requirements for earlier classes differ in some particulars.

1. A student must take a Sophomore Seminar in History in order to be admitted to the major.

2. A History major must choose a field of concentration and complete its requirements.

3. A History major must take 11 semester-courses numbered 150 or higher. At the discretion of the student's adviser, suitable courses in other departments may be counted towards this 11-course requirement, but no fewer than eight must be History courses. One research tutorial (but only one) may be counted towards the eleven required courses.

These 11 courses must include the following:

a. At least six courses in the field of concentration. NB: Concentrators in Intellectual History must take both courses in either the European sequence (HIST 215 and 216) or the American sequence HIST 235 and 236), as well as one course from the other sequence. Concentrators in European History must take either HIST 201  and 202, or HIST 202 and 203.

b. At least two History courses outside the field of concentration.

c. HIST 362, Issues in Contemporary Historiography, which is ordinarily taken during the fall semester of the junior year.

d. A third History Department seminar, in addition to History 362 and the Sophomore Seminar. It is wise to do this before the end of the junior year. An additional seminar in intellectual history is required for the Intellectual History concentration. All History seminars must be taken at Wesleyan.

e. At least one History course chiefly concerned with the pre-industrial era.

4. A History major must complete a substantial research project under faculty supervision. This may take the form of an Honors thesis or a senior essay done through an individual tutorial (e.g. HIST 401, 409), or a seminar course paper in conjunction with a seminar, done by special arrangement with the instructor. (See"The Research Requirement in History")