Whitman Stories
October 18, 2021
History Professor John Cotts Offers Context for 900-Year-Old Sword Recovered at Sea
The rare discovery of a sword dating to the Middle Ages in the Mediterranean Sea has experts from around the world weighing in on its provenance. Cotts shed light on the tumultuous time period during which the weapon was lost: the Third Crusade (1189–1192), when Philip II of France, Richard I of England and Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I, exhorted by Pope Gregory VIII, tried and failed to retake Jerusalem from Saladin, who ruled an area covering modern Egypt, Syria and Iraq and had captured the city in 1187.
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![Portrait of Biswas Shampa](/images/whitman-stories/stories/2021/September/BiswasShampathumb.jpg)
September 28, 2021
Politics Professor Shampa Biswas Highlights the Benefits of Academic Themes
The chair of Whitman’s politics department talks about Race, Violence and Health in Inside Higher Education.
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September 22, 2021
Whitman College Event Celebrates Class of 1920 Alum William O. Douglas
The Sept. 24, 2021 William O. Douglas Centennial Conference reflects on the Supreme Court Justice’s environmental and civil rights legacies.
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![Autumn photo of Memorial Building](/images/whitman-stories/stories/2021/September/Whitman%20Fall%20Mem.jpg)
September 13, 2021
Whitman College Climbs Nine Spots on U.S. News & World Report Rankings
In its annual rankings released earlier today, U.S. News & World Report recognized Whitman as No. 38 on its list of National Liberal Arts Colleges, up from No. 47 last year.
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![Memorial Building on Whitman College campus](/images/whitman-stories/stories/2021/September/princeton%20review%20great%20lists/Memorial-Building-Lester-Thumb.jpg)
September 3, 2021
Whitman College Appears on Eight Princeton Review ‘Great Lists’
Among the lists Whitman appears on are: Most Loved Colleges; Great Quality of Life; Great Classroom Experience;Great Professors; Great Professor Accessibility; Great College Library; Great Health Services; Great Intramural Sports
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September 1, 2021
Wanjiru Kamau-Rutenberg ’01 Named to 100 Most Influential African Women
The African PR firm Avance Media announced its 2021 honorees in celebration of African women in leadership who inspire the next generation of women around the world. It includes women from 28 countries representing business, academia, diplomacy, philanthropy, entertainment and media. Kamau-Rutenberg directs the African Women in Agricultural Research and Development.
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![President Kathy Murray at the 2021 Convocation](/images/whitman-stories/stories/2021/August/Convocation%202021/convocation%202021%20thumb.png)
August 30, 2021
5 Highlights from Whitman’s 2021 Convocation Ceremony
A virtual ceremony ushered in Whitman College’s 140th academic year.
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![Whitman College's Class of 2025 gathered for a welcome celebration at Borleske Stadium](/images/whitman-stories/stories/2021/August/New%20Student%20Welcome%202021/largest%20incoming%20class%20thumb.jpg)
August 26, 2021
Whitman Welcomes ‘Home’ Its Largest-Ever Incoming Class
Campus was abuzz this week as more than 500 new Whitties arrived for move-in and orientation activities.
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August 22, 2021
Whitman Students, Local Employers Thrive When Working Together
As Whitman College students return to campus this week, many have more on their minds than registering for classes or meeting their roommate: They are also on the hunt for jobs. This presents a unique opportunity for local employers who may be feeling the effects of the nationwide labor shortage, and for students eager to earn a paycheck.
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August 19, 2021
Tribal Leader, Visiting Instructor Chuck Sams Nominated for National Parks Service Director
President Joe Biden nominated Sams, who co-taught an indigenous politics course at Whitman last year, as the first Native American to lead the National Park Service. Sams is the former director of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation.
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August 19, 2021
Tribal Leader, Visiting Instructor Chuck Sams Nominated for National Parks Service Director
President Joe Biden nominated Sams, who co-taught an indigenous politics course at Whitman last year, as the first Native American to lead the National Park Service. Sams is the former director of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation.
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August 17, 2021
Former Ambassador to Afghanistan Ryan Crocker '71 Decries U.S. Pullout
In an interview with senior producer Carol Hills soon after the Taliban swept Kabul, Crocker describes the "wrenching" situation on the ground for Afghans as the U.S. departs.
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