College of the Pacific
Welcome to the Department of History
Images provided by the 
Holt-Atherton collection
“I would like students to see that history is full of unexpected surprises that fundamentally challenge our assumptions about the world.”
—Tomomi Kinukawa
History Professor
The History Department offers a wide variety of classes that cover broad themes. Just as diverse is the array of specialties our faculty members draw from to illuminate historical topics. You'll get a flavor of the breadth of themes offered from this sampling of our courses:
- A Global History of Food focuses on the role food has had in shaping culture and history.
- History of Science and Technology examines the ideological and social factors that have shaped scientific thought.
- History of Warfare studies the social, political and cultural factors that change the face of battle.
Some classes focus on specific time periods such as Europe in Turmoil, 1900-1945, which encompasses World War I and II; and Modern Chinese History, a political, social and cultural history of China from 1840 to the present day.
Other classes take a regional approach. Some examples include A People's History of Mexico and John Muir's World: Origins of the Conservation Movement, which draws on the rich resources of our library and the John Muir Center.
Beyond the classroom, our majors have many opportunities for student research in our own and nearby research libraries. We also help facilitate internships in local museums.
Read All About It!
New Books by Pacific History Professors
The Fight to Survive: A Young Girl, Diabetes, and the Discovery of Insulin
By Caroline Cox
In a new book by History Professor and Chair Caroline Cox an inspiring personal drama unfolds against the historical account of a medical breakthrough in the early 20th century. Dr. Cox received a personal note of thanks after sending a copy of the book to Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who has type 1 diabetes. Learn more about the book through this link or watch this video of Dr. Cox discussing the book.
The Lost Art of Real Cooking: Rediscovering the Pleasures of Traditional Food One Recipe at a Time
By Ken Albala and Rosanna Nafziger
Get out your butterchurn—okay, maybe just a wooden bowl and spoon—and discover the secrets of “slow food” in this cookbook co-authored by our own food historian, Professor Ken Albala. This is his 10th book to be published, and more are on the way. Learn more about his books here and check out his blog: kenalbala.blogspot.com.
