"The Dawn of University History"
 
by Douglas W. Foard, editor of OAH "Magazine of History"
 
in OAH "Magazine of History" (Vol. 5, No. 4, Spring 1991, p. 3)
 
     One Spanish writer, Ramiro de Maeztu, described the events of
that dawn in October 1492, as "the first moment in universal
history."  He believed that the real significance of Columbus's
voyage was that it heralded the attainment of an ancient ideal--the
creation of a common human experience, the "ecumene" of which the
Greeks had only dreamed.
     We denizens of this century's "global village," especially
those of us charged with introducing the next generation to its
cultural patrimony, should be gratified at the timing of the
forthcoming quincentenary observances.  Beneath the anniversary's
superficial manifestations (the regattas, the parades, the
commemorative T-shirts) there will be an unparalleled opportunity
to engage in our own explorations of the origins and nature of the
ecumene and its increasing impact upon the way we live.  The
Columbian Quincentenary will afford us easy access to some of the
major issues of our own time (such as global interdependence and
cultural pluralism) while simultaneously demonstrating the vital
nature of historical inquiry.
     We have assembled this edition of the "Magazine of History" on
the basis of those assumptions and, in keeping with the nature of
the quincentenary, we have endeavored to be as universal as
possible in our approach to the subject.  The reader will find,
therefore, that articles appear from a multitude of perspectives
and from a variety of specializations within the discipline.  Each
in its own way is meant to be suggestive of the surprising new
dimensions contemporary historical scholarship is bringing to this
familiar subject and indicative as well of the fascinating avenues
of inquiry still awaiting exploration.
     In completing the endeavor, we have received invaluable
assistance from Dr. John Hebert and his staff at the Library of
Congress, Dr. Herman Viola, Craig Reynolds and his colleagues at
the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC, the staff
at the Smithsonian Institution Press, and Dr. Joel Silver and his
staff at Indiana University's Lilly Library.  Several articles
selected for this edition derive from a teacher institute hosted
for National History Day last summer by the Library of Congress
with the support of the National Endowment for the Humanities.  We
hope that this publication will prove a worthy vehicle for
disseminating the ideas spawned at that gathering and perhaps even
encouraging a championship entry in the 1991-92 National History
Day competition.
 
Reprint permission granted by both author and publisher.