Springfield College Alumnus Serving as Historian with U.S. Department of State

By: Damon Markiewicz

When Brad Morith, G’07, was working on his master’s degree at Springfield College with a focus in secondary education and teaching, he learned a valuable lesson from Education Professor Daniel Zukergood that he has carried with him throughout his career. It’s feedback that has almost become his mission statement as an historian and educator.

“I was doing my teaching practicum at Cathedral High School in Springfield, and Professor Zukergood was observing me, and at the end of the class, he looked at me and said lose the desk,” explained Morith. “What he meant was, I had to get rid of that protective wall in the classroom, and start building those connections with the students, and the best way to do that is to be away from being behind that desk at the front of the class. It’s advice I carry with me to this day, because as an historian, a big part of the job is getting out there and building those relationships with people.”

Morith is currently a doctoral candidate in history at Texas A&M University, and he is living in Washington, D.C. while completing his dissertation. He is currently researching and compiling the Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS) volume on the foreign economic policy of George H. W. Bush. The FRUS is the U.S. Government’s official documentary history of foreign policy decision-making and significant diplomatic activity. His work is a career move that has him serving as a historian in the Global Issues and General Division in the Office of the Historian, U.S. Department of State.

Morith’s path to our Nation’s capital was the result of significant networking contacts he made through the History Department of Texas A&M University. Using Zukergood’s advice from his time on Alden Street, Morith made those connections, and that has led to career opportunities in Washington.

“This has been an incredible experience since I began last summer,” explained Morith. “I live in DC, and my research interests include the history of American foreign relations, diplomatic history between the United States and Germany, German unification, and postwar western European integration. I research in both English and German.”

Prior to his current work in Washington, Morith spent 14 months as a German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) scholar at the Free University of Berlin, where he did PhD research at the archives in Berlin, Frankfurt-am-Main, Koblenz, Sankt Augustin, and Gummersbach. In addition, Morith presented at a doctoral workshop, conducted in German, at the Center for Contemporary History (ZZF) in Potsdam.

“My experiences in Germany were great, and I really enjoyed my archival research during my time there,” explained Morith. “To have the ability to research some of the more fascinating events in world history, including the unification of Germany, and the fall of the Berlin Wall, it was just an unbelievable experience.”

Following Morith’s current doctoral work, he will continue to serve as a historian at the Department of State. To complement his full-time work, he also has plans to get back in the classroom on a part-time basis, and educate students as an adjunct professor at one of the colleges or universities in the Washington area. Following his graduation from Springfield College, he spent three years teaching History and A.P. U.S. Government in the Springfield Public School system, followed by two more years teaching high school social studies in the Greater Philadelphia area. Morith also is no stranger to teaching at the higher education level, serving as a History Lecturer at La Salle University, and also working as a Graduate Lecturer of History at Texas A&M.

“I love teaching, and I think it would be a great opportunity to get back into the classroom and work with students,” explained Morith. “The education professors were great at Springfield College, and they really prepared me well to get in front of a class and build connections with the class.”

Despite not having been back on campus since 2011, Morith remains in touch with professor Zukergood and Eileen Cyr, and he remains very grateful for the impact they had on his career.

“Springfield College was the start of my journey as an historian and educator,” explained Morith. “The professors taught me how to be a professional, and be a great teacher. The experience at Springfield really was fantastic, and there are memories I carry with me to do this day.”