Interview with a Professional Historian

Q: What made you want to study history and pursue your current career?

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A: I wanted to be a teacher of some kind for as long as I can remember.  I assumed I would be a high school teacher until I got to college and decided that I really wanted to be a college professor instead of a high school teacher.  I chose history because I found it to be interesting and relevant to the contemporary world, which was important to me as I selected a major.  I also had some good professors in my college history courses, and they served as excellent role models (Bailey).

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Q: How much education is required for someone studying in the field of history?

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A: The amount of education you need depends on the goal you hope to achieve.  Many people simply earn a B.A. in History and then find careers in a variety of fields—this is typical of many students who earn degrees in the humanities and social sciences and then find that the critical thinking skills, communication skills, and work habits that led them to be successful in the academic world will translate very nicely into a variety of career options in the world of employment.

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For those wanting to be history teachers, a B.A. might be sufficient to get an entry-level teaching position when combined with the appropriate education courses and/or degree, and an M.A. might be sufficient for career advancement thereafter.  For those hoping to be professors, a Ph.D. will probably be required for full-time employment, though some community colleges may require only a M.A. degree if the candidate has experience or other characteristics that make him or her a particularly strong applicant (Bailey).

Dr. Raymond Bailey

History Professor at Northern Virginia Community College

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Dr. Raymond Bailey is a long-time professor of history at Northern Virginia Community College for the last thirty years.  Specializing in U.S. history, specifically 17th and 18th century American history, Dr. Bailey's job as a historian employed by the college is to prepare students for their respective careers upon graduating, regardless of the student's field of study.  Dr. Bailey has also written about topics pertaining to his discipline.

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Interview with a government professor

Q: What influenced you to study your field?

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A: Since the age of ten or eleven I was interested in history.  This is partly because my parents, even though we were a working class family of modest means, always emphasized how great America was and how lucky we all were to be Americans.  My father was a WW II combat infantryman who landed at Anzio in Italy and fought the enemies of civilization (the Third Reich) in terrifying conditions for over a year.  He never talked much about the war and this was the case for most American combat veterans who were lucky enough to return home.  I remember his uniform in the closet.  I remember the Combat Infantryman's Badge on the uniform and all of the ribbons (awards) that were on the uniform under the badge.  I once asked him what all of the little stars on one of his ribbons meant.  He told me they were "Battle Stars" and each one (and there were a number of them on that little ribbon) meant that the people who were authorized to wear them on their uniforms had participate in major battles in the Italian campaign.  So, to learn more about this I studied not only the history of WW II but the history of America and with the passing years - the world.  Also, I was "good" at history and lousy at math so deciding to major in history in college was an easy decision.  

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Q: What are some challenges you faced throughout your career?

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A: Challenges?  Well, we all face challenges.  I was never very good at math and math was indeed a challenge that for a while looked like it might keep me from going to college or even, when I got to college, graduating from college.  Later in life, in the Army, I actually became pretty good at math and even received two "A" grades in graduate school for accounting no less.  I am inherently lazy and that is indeed a "challenge" if you are to succeed at anything worthwhile in life.  So, I worked hard in the Army and in the different jobs I have had since the Army (pursuing a doctorate, being a policy adviser at a Washington-based think tank and becoming an associate professor at the US Army Command & General Staff College where I taught for ten years, retiring just last year.  Those are the major "challenges" in my life.  Otherwise I have been blessed with a good mind, and until the last couple of years, good health and these things help you in life.  I suppose I could have achieved more if not for being a bit lazy but I am pleased enough with what little I have accomplished in life.  I was the first college graduate in my family, the first military officer, I earned the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, the academic title of "doctor" and the status of becoming an associate professor.  

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Q: How many years have you been involved in foreign policy and how do you keep yourself engaged?

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A: I have been involved in foreign policy since 1982 when the Army told me I had been selected to become one of its "Foreign Area Officers" (FAO).  This meant that I would be trained as a regional expert for some part of the world (Europe in general and the Balkans and Greece in particular) and then be assigned to various jobs in America and overseas as an analyst, and as a "soldier diplomat" in the region of my expertise.  I was sent to the US Naval Postgraduate School for my master's in National Security Affairs and then to language school to learn modern Greek and then to Greece to attend the Greek Army War College.  I had various assignments over the years following my selection as a FAO and they included being a strategic intelligence analyst, the only US Army officer to attend the Greek senior service college (Greek National Defense College) and the US/NATO Liaison to the Greek General Staff between 1992-1996.  After the Army I felt I wanted to teach.  During my pursuit of a doctorate I began teaching at GMU in 1999.  Since then I have received eight letters of commendation from the school for excellence in teaching.  I have, so far as I can determine, the highest overall student ratings for the courses I teach in our department at GMU. I have been equally honored by the Army Command & General Staff College for my teaching there.  And all of my teaching has involved history or foreign policy subjects. I keep myself engaged by continuing to teach even though I am financially well off and do not have to "work" anymore.  I like teaching and I like being with students like you.  I am a "fellow" at the International Strategic Studies Association and a senior fellow at the American Hellenic Institute and this also keeps me busy and engaged.  I follow politics closely and I read when I can.  

Dr. Harry Dinella

Government Professor at George Mason University

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Interview with a U.S. Diplomat

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Q: What requirements are there for your line of work? Are there any skills that are particularly valued?

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A: The Foreign Service doesn’t require any particular areas of study, but it does require that you pass the Foreign Service exam, and to do so, it’s helpful to have a background in government, international affairs or economics. Some people say that if you read the New York Times every day, you can pass the exam - what they mean is that you need to stay up to date on international issues. It’s also very helpful to have at least one foreign language, a degree in the field, or to have prior experience living abroad. None of those is the determining factor, though; rather, they’re looking at the applicants as a whole. I know one officer who didn’t even have a bachelor’s degree when he joined the Foreign Service.

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Q: Is there anything particularly enjoyable about your work?

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A: Of course! I get to meet lots of interesting people, and travel to lots of interesting places, attend lots of interesting events and so on. For example, meeting Andrey Sakharov jumps out as a highlight. He’s a Russian physicist and human rights activist who was banished to the city of Gorky during the Soviet era - and when he was finally released, I got to meet and interview him. It was one of the most memorable experiences I’ve had, especially since his story’s an interesting one - he was one of the initial architects of the Russian nuclear weapons program, but he later reversed course and became an advocate for human rights - and it goes without saying that that was dangerous in the USSR. Another highlight was attending a state dinner in honor of Francois Hollande and just taking in the whole spectacle.

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Q: Since a large part of a diplomat’s job is travelling overseas, what was the hardest part of getting adjusted to that for the first time?

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A: Hm… I didn’t find it hard to get adjusted, since I lived overseas as a child. A lot of people have a hard time getting adjusted to a new culture or environment, but we always study the language before going there, so it isn’t the most difficult part of the job. Whenever you start a new job, though, it’s always very stressful - it takes about 6 months to figure out exactly what your role is and what you should be doing. That goes for getting readjusted to the U.S. after spending time abroad as well.

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Q: Lastly, is there any advice that you’d have for someone going into your field?

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A: Study a foreign language, and do lots of reading about international affairs. Staying up to date is one of the most important facets of the job, right alongside developing good interpersonal skills. Diplomacy has a lot to do with knowing how to interact with people and be persuasive.

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Kathleen Kavalec

Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs

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Interview with a U.S. Marshal

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Could you describe one of your typical workdays?

Currently I am the Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Virginia, my office is in the Federal Courthouse in Alexandria, VA.  Even though my office is in Alexandria, VA, I oversee and I am responsible for the Operations of the U.S. Marshals Service in Richmond, Norfolk and Newport News, VA.  The Operations of the U.S. Marshals Service in the Eastern District of Virginia include Prisoner Operations, Court Operations which includes Protective Intelligence and Judicial Security Operations, Fugitive Investigations which include Federal, State and Local fugitives through Task Force Operations which is partnership of all three levels of law enforcement to arrest the worst of the worst fugitives in Virginia and finally I over the administrative personnel that support the Operational Personnel in the Eastern District of Virginia.

 

 

What skills are required in your position on a day-to-day basis?

On a daily basis I am making sure all operational functions of the U.S. Marshals Service in the Eastern District of Virginia are working and supporting our partner Law Enforcement Agencies at the Federal, State and Local levels; as well as the Federal Judiciary.   Management and Leadership skills are required  on a daily basis as well as being flexible and able to support missions or assignments that come up at the last minute.

 

What parts of your job do you find most challenging?

Making sure that the U.S. Marshals Service in the Eastern District of Virginia has the right number resources to complete it’s mission on a daily basis.  The challenge is making sure you can complete the mission with the constant budget and staffing cuts.  You must find innovative ways to complete the mission, doing more with less.

 

 

What do find most enjoyable?

When the mission is completed in a safe, secure and successful manner.

Professor Nancy Attal Deem

Criminogloy Professor at George Mason University