I am extremely pleased to announce that a book written by one of my students has been published.  He did me the great honor of sending me a copy.  It is called, “A BILLY YANK GOVERNOR, The life and times of New Jersey’s Franklin Murphy”. The writer, Bernard Olsen, was a student of mine during the 70’s when he was studying how to be teacher of History.  He may have also learned about Herstory but that was not what I was teaching at that time.  If I were still teaching I would not only have continued to focus on minorities – my specialty within the larger subject of “how to teach” - but would stress the history of the female contribution to our sensibilities and in her increasing presence in the halls of political and economic power. “Bernie” Olsen focused on one of the locally known notables who over the course of years faded as our memories became overloaded with wars, economic upheaval and technological challenges.

What Mr. Olsen makes clear is that ordinary beginnings and the up thrusting power of going to war creates possibilities for unpretentious and modest men to place themselves in the position to effect real change in the industry he entered and in the management of New Jersey when he was elected governor.  I had never heard about Franklin Murphy as I never really knew details in the life of the 19th century presidents I studied.  Scholarship and the creative energies of a teacher of teenagers (now young adults) is the extension of what must go on in the classroom.  Constant study and research make the subject and the teacher more interesting and, it is hoped, sparks interests in students who would much rather be doing something else.

I cannot resist the pleasure of receiving such a handsome tome.  It is not a history book as such for the detail that is the substance of lengthy histories of John Adams and Harry Truman is missing here.  What is substituted is the creation of the feeling for the times by insertion of photographs and reproduction of maps and drawings from that period.  It is a handsome work that may, unfortunately, become a coffee table book rather than the resource it will be if included in bibliographies for High School history classes and, in particular, for classes in New Jersey History.  Therein is a great difficulty for we Americans do not become obsessive about the States which bred us – well maybe further south than New Jersey.

The book is compelling because it takes this locally known governor and makes him real. In reality such men, and now women, are not known beyond their states unless they are tapped for higher office and their administrations become well known because of national and international affairs. Franklin Murphy was a “star” briefly and his brilliance was lost soon after he retired from office. I have promoted A BILLY YANK GOVERNOR, to the first place of all the books piled up at my bedside.