Dr. Joseph Crespino, Senior Associate Dean of Faculty and Divisional Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences and Jimmy Carter Professor of History, recently participated in a Congressional Briefing organized by the American Historical Association (AHA) focused on how the U.S. Senate has changed since its establishment. The briefing took place on Thursday, July 24, in the Dirksen Senate Office Building. Other presenters included Dr. Joanne B. Freeman (Yale Univ.) and Daniel S. Holt (Senate Historical Office). AHA executive director Sarah Weicksel served as moderator.

The AHA’s Congressional Briefings series seeks to provide Congressional staff members, journalists, and other members of the policy community with the historical context essential to understanding contemporary issues. The sessions are strictly nonpartisan and avoid advancing particular policy prescriptions or legislative agendas.

While in D.C., Crespino also had the chance to say hello to former History major Becca Flikier, who is now Deputy Chief of Staff for Florida Congresswoman Lois Frankel. Flikier graduated in 2017 with honors, receiving highest honors for her thesis, “The Fall of the Child Savers, The Rise of Juvenile Lockdown, and The Evolution of Juvenile Justice in Twentieth-Century America.” Her thesis chair was Daniel LaChance. Flikier was also a Political Science minor.