Edward L. Ayers, the University of Richmond’s president for three years this July, shares with Fifty Plus readers his accomplishments thus far and his future goals for the university, as well as his thoughts on the city, on teaching and on happiness at 50-something.
A widely-recognized scholar on the American South during the Civil War and Reconstruction, Ayers talks about his work with The Future of Richmond’s Past initiative, and on living in the former capital of the Confederacy during the upcoming commemoration of both the Civil War and the emancipation of slavery.
An author and editor of ten books, Ayers discusses some of the current projects that keep him busy. He is co-host of the syndicated radio show, "BackStory with the American History Guys," and has a very popular Web site. In addition, he still teaches some and lectures around the country. He’ll give a lecture in Gettysburg, Pa., on the anniversary of the historic Gettysburg Address in November.
Readers might even be surprised to discover the place this Tennessee native considers "home."
Here are Ed Ayers’ responses to our interview questions:
Q
You’ve been at the helm of the University of Richmond (UR) for three years now. What are your biggest accomplishments or the biggest changes you’ve made at the university?A
The university is doing really well, I must say. The school already had a lot of momentum, of course, and new senior leaders have built on that in an exciting way. As one index of that, we’ve made excellent progress in admissions, with a record 8,600 students applying this year, from all over the nation and the world, for 800 positions in the first-year class. The university has attracted many more students of color and first-generation students in the last couple of years, which is an important goal. And we have students at UR from 70 other countries—a very high proportion for a school of only 3,000 undergraduates—along with many students from Richmond and from Virginia.We’ve also seen strengthened connections to the city, with UR Downtown and many tens of thousands of hours of involvement with a broad range of organizations through our Center for Civic Engagement. The new Robins Stadium is going to be terrific and I hope people will come watch the Spiders play. Our new Carole Weinstein International Center is a spectacular building and we’re looking forward to opening that this fall, along with Queally Hall, a wonderful addition to the Robins School of Business.
Our alumni are more engaged than ever and there’s a great sense of optimism on campus about the progress we’re making. It’s a blast to work here as a part of this team.
Q You were acclaimed many times as an outstanding teacher. Do you miss teaching or have you found other outlets to satisfy the teacher in you?
A Fortunately, I still teach. I’ve taught a seminar for first-year students each year I’ve been at UR and that recharges my teaching batteries. I do a lot of work with high school teachers from around the country, too, and that is a form of teaching as well. I give lectures at various universities, organizations, and meetings, so my teaching habit is pretty well fulfilled.
I’m involved in something else that is really exciting, too: a nationally syndicated radio show called "BackStory, with the American History Guys." I’m the 19th-century guy, so I have to stay sharp to keep up with my two brilliant co-hosts, Brian Balogh and Peter Onuf. I hope people will check us out at backstoryradio.org or on iTunes; all our shows are free and we’ve received a great response so far from audiences all over the United States and beyond.
Q You’re recognized as an expert on the American South. At what age did you first become interested in history, and when did you become fascinated with this particular period in time?
A Although I grew up in the South--in southern Appalachia, to be more exact—I didn’t really think much about it until I went to graduate school up north and people seemed to notice that I talked funny. I discovered that Southern history was remarkably interesting and rich, so that has been the focus of my work for over 30 years now. While I focus on the 19th century, I teach and write about the 20th century as well. A good thing about history is that we keep making more of it!
Q You’ve written and edited 10 books on the American South during the Civil War and Reconstruction. Are you currently writing a book or what’s your current project(s)?
A I’m still active on the scholarly front, I’m happy to say. I have several big lectures to write for this fall, including one at Gettysburg on the anniversary of the Gettysburg Address and another one at the National Archives, so that’s exciting. With the anniversaries of the Civil War and emancipation arriving, I have lots of opportunities to give talks and write articles, so that’s where most of my scholarly energy is going right now. I do have books in the works, but those are long-term projects.
I’ve been interested for a long time in the possibilities that new technologies open up for history and I’ve helped found the Digital Scholarship Lab at UR. They’re doing some remarkable work that’s getting attention from around the world, so it’s fun to work with them. I think we’ve just begun to see the possibilities of new technologies for history.
Q Considering your area of expertise, are there any particular advantages to actually being in Richmond in terms of your research?
A Being in Richmond is a great opportunity in many ways. I’m on the boards of a number of the great historical organizations in the city and it’s exciting to see the wonderful work they do. It’s been rewarding to bring historians from elsewhere to Richmond and for them to see the riches we have here. I use the region as something of a laboratory for my UR classes and for the teachers who come here from around the country to learn about the South in American history. The more I learn about Richmond the more there is to learn.
Q Will this be an exciting place for you to be during the upcoming commemoration of the Civil War?
A If we do things right, this should be the national center of activity for the sesquicentennial of the Civil War and emancipation. We’ve already seen great collaboration and energy in the programs for The Future of Richmond’s Past, and I think some wonderful things are going to be happening over the next four years. Stay tuned!
Q Tell us briefly about some of the things you’ve been involved with to make the commemoration more inclusive by incorporating the commemoration of emancipation from slavery into the celebration.
A From the beginning, the Future of Richmond’s Past has been dedicated to including everyone in the story of Civil War and emancipation. Bringing emancipation to center stage is by itself important, for it broadens the story from the outset. We’re working hard to show that history is not a zero sum proposition; in fact, we have to include everyone to tell a story that makes sense at all. I’d have to say that I’ve been deeply heartened by how many people are eager to hear, and tell, that more inclusive story. When we had the first "Civil War and Emancipation Day" back in April, it was encouraging to see large white audiences interested in black history and vice versa. Four thousand people attended.
Q Tell readers a little about your very popular Web site, "The Valley of the Shadow: Two Communities in the American Civil War."
A In some ways, the "Valley of the Shadow" was a rehearsal for the sesquicentennial. Though we began it back in 1993, believe it or not, the idea was the same as today: include every person, of every background, in a vast archive of newspapers, letters, diaries, censuses, military records, and the like so that visitors can see for themselves how the pieces connect, how Americans from a Southern community and a Northern community went to war against one another. It’s been gratifying to see that this has been used around the world for almost twenty years now. The Web is transforming everything else and education should be one of the great beneficiaries if we do it right.
Q What do you consider your biggest accomplishment thus far overall?
A I’m especially pleased to be able to connect my work as a teacher and a scholar with my roles as citizen and neighbor.
Q What’s the biggest goal you still want to achieve?
A To be honest, there is no limit to how good the University of Richmond can be. My goal is to help make the university one of the best places in the world to get an education, focusing on our students first and foremost.
Q What place in the world do you consider home? Is it the place you grew up?
A My wife Abby and I both grew up in East Tennessee. My mother, brother, and sister all still live there, so we do talk of going "home" when we visit. But Virginia has been the place where we have lived for 30 years now, where we have raised and educated our two children, and where we plan to live the rest of our lives. Virginia is home.
Q Are you comfortable in your own skin at 50-something? Has that age been good to you/for you?
A What? I’m 50-something?
To my surprise, the last decade has been the most satisfying of my life. Abby and I are fortunate to be healthy and energetic, and we’re fortunate to be in a place we love, so we can’t wait to see what comes next. FP
