About the History Department
The Department of History began to take its present shape following San Angelo College's conversion to a four year institution (under the new name of Angelo State College) in 1965. Billy Mack Jones, a prominent scholar and teacher, headed the department during those formative years. The history faculty at that time consisted of a mix of M.A.'s, A.B.D.'s, and several Ph.D.s (among them Escal Duke, Jack Bates, and H. Dempsey Watkins) who would constitute the mainstay of the department for several years. Upon Dr. Jones's departure from ASU in the late 1960s, Dr. Bob Holcomb became department head and he remained in that capacity until 1973 when he received an administrative promotion.
In 1973, Dr. Charles A. Endress began his long tenure as the History Department's chair, serving until his semi-retirement in 2004. This was a rather stable era for the department, witnessing little faculty turnover. The core faculty still consists of about nine professors (in tenure track positions) who are complemented by instructors who are semi-retired or teach part time. All full-time faculty members have Ph.D.s.
History faculty members take pride in keeping pace with the latest research in their subject field, and some have become experts in their area of specialization, whether it be European, Asian, or U.S. history. Many have developed outstanding reputations for their teaching prowess, relying on either the traditional lecture method or integrating the latest electronic technology into classroom instruction. All insist on high-quality work, emphasizing (in both freshman and upper level classes) the need to develop strong writing and reading skills and the usefulness of acquiring research experience.
The current department head is Dr. Virginia Noelke, a member of the ASU history faculty since 1971.