Ohio State graduates will hear a military and European history expert speak at the winter quarter commencement ceremony.
Geoffrey Parker, the Andreas Dorpalen Professor of History at OSU, has been chosen to deliver the commencement address. Parker also holds a joint appointment at the Mershon Center, OSU’s center for interdisciplinary study of international security and public policy.
“Naturally, I feel immensely honored by Provost [Ed] Ray’s invitation to give the March Commencement address — the only time each year that a faculty member gets a chance to address 1,600 Buckeyes at one time,” Parker said.
A native of Nottingham, England, Parker received his bachelor’s degree in 1965 and his master’s degree and doctorate in 1968, all from Cambridge University. Prior to joining OSU in 1997, Parker taught at Yale University, the University of Illinois, the University of St. Andrews, Scotland and the University of British Columbia.
In his address, Parker plans to focus on the theme, “The Greatest Gift an Education Gives is Perspective” and how it applies to private, public, and international affairs. Parker said he felt inspired when he found that expression in “Convicted in the Womb,” the autobiography of Carl Upchurch.
“Upchurch is a black former gang member who discovered this truth in prison,” Parker said. “He now lives here in Columbus and works tirelessly to help others. I hope to convey that investing an irrationally large amount of effort to help others, even though it apparently offers no benefit to the giver, often produces the finest fruit.”
Parker has published on the social, political and military history on Europe. In total, he has written, edited or co-edited 31 books and 80 articles.
In 1984, Parker became a Fellow of the British Academy, which is the highest honor open to scholars in the Humanities in Great Britain. In 1992, the King of Spain made him a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic in recognition of his work on Spanish history.
This commencement address can also be added to the other 250 lectures Parker has delivered around the world.
He is currently working a narrative and analytical history titled, “The World Crisis, 1635-1665,” concerning the climatically induced crisis that created acute political, economic, intellectual and social upheaval in most parts of the world in the mid-17th century. He hopes his study will aid in informing the current debate on the consequences for human society of sudden climatic change and also provide a new perspective on current concerns about global warming.
Winter quarter commencement usually has a faculty member address the audience.
“Professor Parker is an outstanding choice for commencement speaker,” Ray said in a statement.
“He is a remarkable scholar and teacher who cares deeply about students realizing their potential,” Ray said. “I know that he will speak for his faculty colleagues with eloquence and that his message will be timely and meaningful to our students.”
