F&M Stories

If there is one hallmark of Maria Mitchell's 26 years on the Franklin & Marshall College faculty, it is the professor of history's commitment to community. One colleague described her dedication as similar to how U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren helped create the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau following the 2007-08 financial crisis.

"Maria fought for and, practically single-handedly, brought the Committee on the Faculty Handbook into existence," said Professor of Chemistry Ed Fenlon. "I served with Maria on this committee — I was constantly impressed with her insight into issues that need to be addressed and her plans to make it happen."

In nominating Mitchell for F&M's inaugural Faculty Distinguished Service Award, Fenlon said, "Her encyclopedic knowledge of the history of almost all F&M faculty governance issues is amazing and extremely useful."

The award recognizes a faculty member whose leadership in service has had a positive impact on the quality of campus life. Mitchell was stunned when Provost Cameron Wesson informed her of the honor.

"I was like 'Why am I being called by the provost?'" Mitchell recalled.

The departments, programs, committees and working groups Mitchell has chaired include the Department of History (2007-2010), Faculty Council (2013-2014), Judaic Studies Committee (2013-2014), Africana Studies Committee (2015-2016), Women's and Gender Studies Committee (2016-2018), Committee on the Faculty Handbook (2016-2017 co-chair; 2017-2018), and Academic Integrity Working Group (2015-2016).

She was convener of the Curriculum Review Working Group on Information Literacy (2011) and serves as such for the Faculty Evaluation Task Force. She was president of Phi Beta Kappa, Theta of PA (2009-2010). Mitchell served on most of these committees as a member for many additional years. Between 2011 and 2018, Mitchell proposed nine Common Hour speakers and events that were accepted.

Mitchell, whose scholarship is as impressive as it is extensive, is modest about the recognition.

"There literally are people that deserve this award more than me," she said. "I will nominate them next year."

Strengthening community motivates this scholar of European history, who was born in southwestern Virginia to a father whose work led to frequently moving his family and a mother who dedicated her time to volunteer efforts in the Methodist church.

"I was raised that way, to always keep an eye out for others and to see if there's anything I could do to help," Mitchell said. "A lot of what we do through committees can seem frustratingly useless in the moment, but it ultimately contributes to enhancing the lives of our colleagues and our students."

Her commitment to shared governance was inspired by her mentor, the late John Andrew, an F&M historian of 20th-century America who she described as "a lion on faculty governance."

"He had more of an impact on me than anyone at F&M in my formative years," Mitchell said.

The professor's innate desire for community purpose informs her personal and professional life.

"I like to improve the lives of those around me and I think there's a link because I find a way through service and governance to, I hope, improve the quality of campus life for professional staff, faculty and students," she said. "We're all part of these broader communities and it's why we're there. It's our obligation to forge connections and make them better than when we arrived."