Dr. Roy E. Finkenbine History Scholarship
This spring marks the retirement of Roy E. Finkenbine, professor of History and department co-chair in the College of Humanities, Arts & Social Sciences (CHASS) at 糖心logo入口, following nearly three decades of dedicated service. Since joining the faculty in 1996, Dr. Finkenbine has shaped the academic lives of countless students and helped define how history is taught, understood and valued across our campus.
For many students, their first meaningful encounter with African American history did not come from a textbook alone but from Dr. Finkenbine’s classroom. His teaching brought history to life through primary voices, careful scholarship and stories that demanded attention and reflection. Courses in African American history, slave resistance, the Civil War era, modern Africa and the Underground Railroad invited students to engage deeply with the past and to understand how history continues to shape questions of justice, identity and belonging. For several years, Dr. Finkenbine also led a May trip for students to the Deep South, where they visited key landmarks of the Civil Rights Movement and experienced history not as a distant subject but as a living presence tied to place, memory and moral responsibility.
That passion extended well beyond the classroom. As director of the Black Abolitionist Archive and interim director of African American Studies, Dr. Finkenbine dedicated his career to preserving and elevating the voices of Black abolitionists and freedom seekers. His scholarly work, including the Black Abolitionist Papers, Witness for Freedom and Sources of the African American Past, reflects a lifelong commitment to ensuring that African American history is not only studied but centered. Students often describe his courses as transformative because he challenged them to listen closely, think critically and see themselves as responsible stewards of history.
As Dr. Finkenbine concludes his teaching career, we have the opportunity to honor his legacy in a meaningful and lasting way. We are proud to establish the Dr. Roy E. Finkenbine History Scholarship, an endowed scholarship for history majors. Our goal is to raise over $25,000 to ensure future students can pursue the study of history with the same curiosity and purpose that Dr. Finkenbine instilled in his students.
A gift to this scholarship carries forward Dr. Finkenbine’s passion for African American history and his belief in education as a force for understanding and change. It ensures that his influence will continue through the students whose lives he helped shape and those yet to come.
We invite you to join us this spring in celebrating Dr. Finkenbine’s retirement by making a gift to the Dr. Roy E. Finkenbine History Scholarship.
