Professor of History and Economics, Roger Ransom, was elected as the next President of the Economic History Association (EHA), a coveted lifetime achievement honor. Ransom has been with UCR since 1968, launching his career in the Economics department and transitioning in 1984 to the History department. In 2002-2003, Ransom earned the Distinguished Teaching Award. Since 1969, Ransom has shared his career and collaboratively worked with Richard Sutch, who is a Distinguished Professor of Economics at UCR and is currently the President of the International Economic History Association (IEHA) for 2002.

The EHA was founded in 1940 and currently has approximately 1200 members, one third of whom are foreign. The EHA publishes the Journal of Economic History, and as President Ransom will organize academic meetings and call for papers for a conference in Toronto in the fall of 2005. Ransom described the Association as, “a place to shape intellectual contours.”

Currently, Ransom serves as the President Elect for the Association, and during 2004-05 he will be President of the association. His theme for the annual meetings will be War and Economic History: Causes, Costs, and Consequences. In addition to organizing academic meetings, Ransom’s principal duties include delegating and appointing program committees who are responsible for such things as fellowships.

Ransom commented that the EHA has more scholars teaching in economics departments than in history department. In his position as president, Ransom hopes to “increase the role, voice, and participation of historians.” Ransom hopes to use “world” or “global” history, a vehicle for inspiring “some hope of interaction.” Ransom will be teaching History 20 this Fall quarter. He also will offer courses on the American Civil War and World War I during the 2003-2004 academic year.