Writing Samples

Here are some samples of my writing on various topics. Click on the article title to read the article.

"Diplomatic Farmers: Iowans and the 1955 Agricultural Delegation to the Soviet Union." Annals of Iowa, Winter 2013. On a balmy September evening in 1955, 1,500 people crowded into a high school auditorium in Sioux City, Iowa, to hear Whiting farmer Herb Pike describe his recent visit to the Soviet Union. . .

"Reconstructing APPA's Early Years. Founding Members Build Campuses and the Profession," Facilities Manager Magazine, September/October 2013. "March 23, 1914 shone cold and clear as nearly a dozen university representatives gathered at the University of Chicago for the organizational meeting of what would become APPA. . ."

"Engaging the World, The Study of International Affairs at the George Washington University," 2013. "With a Rand McNally Atlas among its first purchases, Columbian University opened its doors in Fall 1898 to 90 graduate students interested in the history and workings of international law. . ."

"Presidential Leadership: Understanding the Influence of Academic Disciplines," Public Purpose, April/May 2008. "It's easy to forget, amidst the perceived ivory tower of administrative offices, that top university administrators were once students themselves. . ."

"Jacksonville's Tree Giveaway," American Forests, Autumn 2007. "Thinking about all the pipes, culverts, and cement needed to manage stormwater in Jacksonville, Florida, city official Susie Wiles is convinced there has to be a better way to meet federal water quality regulations. The answer, she suspects, may be growing right before her eyes. . ."

"Re-creating History," Ensemble, Winter 2006. "Calling themselves 'visual storytellers,' StudioEIS artisans craft realistic figures that both replicate history and evoke emotional responses. . ."

"Lessons & Landscape at The Willow School," Ensemble, Winter 2005. "Inspired by a curriculum dedicated to teaching responsibility and respect, The Willow School in Gladstone, New Jersey, has created an environment that models these virtues in its buildings and grounds. . ."

"The Customer Is Always Right," Independent Gasoline Marketing, September/October 2001. "For the past 10 years, the motto 'We Exist to Please the Customer,' has been the guiding principle behind Arens Oil, Inc., Montgomery City, Missouri . . ."

"Edward Bellamy: An Introductory Bibliography," American Studies International26 (October 1988): 37-50. "In thirteen short years the world enters the twenty-first century, long the province of science fiction writers and utopian dreamers. As envisioned by Edward Bellamy in his best-selling novel Looking Backward, 2000-1887 (1888), the coming years will be characterized by a 'universal reign of comfort' in which abundance and social harmony have replaced the class warfare and industrial strife of his lifetime. . ."