Dr. Scott Giltner joined the Culver-Stockton faculty in August 2005. He teaches courses in history with topics such as U.S. history before 1865 and since 1865, sports in American history, African American history, America in the 1950s and 1960s, American history through film, and the Civil War era. He has served the college as Chair of the History Department, Director of Experiential Learning, and Associate Division chair. He is currently the chair of the Applied Liberal Arts and Sciences Division.

Giltner was one of the inaugural recipients of the Dome Award, which recognizes C-SC employees who have played an important role in the advancement of the College, during the Alumni Honors Banquet in Oct. 2019. He received the Helsabeck Prize for Excellence in Teaching in 2014, and he was one of the three inaugural recipients of the Blue Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching presented by the Culver-Stockton Teacher Organization in 2019.

He is a member of the American Historical Association, the National Society for Experiential Education, and is former President of the Association of Academic Programs in Latin America and the Caribbean. He is the chair of the board of directors of the Lincoln-Douglas Debate Museum in Quincy, Ill., and聽a board member聽of the Lewis County Historical Society in Canton, Mo. In addition, Dr. Giltner serves as a member of the Higher Learning Commission鈥檚 Peer Review Corps.

Giltner, a native of Hartford, Ohio, is active in travel study, co-leading the biennial Belize and Guatemala expedition that has taken more than 120 students through the rainforests, reefs and ruins of Central America. He also is the coordinator of the 乱伦社区 Scholastic Bowl Invitational.

He previously taught at the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pa. He also has written a book, “Hunting and Fishing in the New South: Black Labor and White Leisure After the Civil War,” that was published in 2008. Giltner lives in Quincy, Ill., with his wife, Heather Keller-Giltner, and their four cats.

“To be named the Sperry chair is an incredible honor, said Dr. Giltner of the appointment. 鈥淭he opportunity to build on John Sperry’s legacy, of working to inspire new generations of C-SC students through exploring the Humanities, is a privilege that I will cherish.聽 And to inherit the title from Patrick Hotle, a dear friend and colleague for many years who set such a high standard for engaged teaching and research in the Humanities, makes it all the more special.”

John A. Sperry Jr. was a distinguished professor of humanities throughout his 35-year career at Culver-Stockton and was awarded emeritus status upon his retirement.聽He聽was best known for his enthusiasm and breadth of knowledge in the subjects of history and humanities.

Sperry served with the U.S. Army in World War II. He graduated from three universities and received several honorary degrees. Jean Sperry, John鈥檚 wife, established the Sperry Chair and Lecture in 1992 to commemorate her husband鈥檚 time at Culver-Stockton. The annual聽lecture聽honors Sperry for his dedication to the Culver-Stockton community.

鈥淥n September 14, 1853, local townspeople gathered and cast their vision for the first coeducational college west of the Mississippi,鈥� Giltner said. 鈥淥n Thursday night, we are going to come together and look back at those conversations and events that took place 170 years ago.鈥� Students, faculty, staff, and community members are welcome and encouraged to attend this free event.

Horace Mann Educators Corporation, a financial services company focused on providing educators insurance and retirement solutions based out of Springfield, Ill., awarded nearly $15,000 in prizes during its 鈥淏ack in the Game鈥� event.

The winning team, 鈥淎be Vigoda and the Second Guessers,鈥� consisted of Giltner, Mike Stephens 聽from Quincy (Ill.) High School, Brodie Mann from Chaddock School in Quincy and Mike Martin from Hazelwood Central High School in Florissant, Mo. Each received a $500 Amazon gift card and $500 to donate to the educational project/school of their choice.

鈥淚t was terrific to start off the school year on such a fun and positive note given everything that is going on,鈥� Giltner said. 鈥淭his has been a tough time for teachers, and the tournament provided a welcome break. We usually play in a bar trivia league in Quincy, but that’s been derailed for a long time by COVID-19, so it was good to be back. It was great to participate in the competition with so many dedicated teachers. I鈥檓 very grateful to Horace Mann for sponsoring the event, and I look forward to next year.鈥�

Giltner said he planned to donate his prize money to the Student Scholarship Fund at C-SC.

鈥淏ack in the Game鈥� started on August 3 with five preliminary rounds. The top teams from each round advanced to the next round, wrapping up with the finals on August 25. 鈥淭he Second Guessers鈥� were tied with eight teams after the final round, and they were tied with four teams after the tiebreaker round. They were declared the winners because they answered their tiebreaker questions in the least amount of time, edging out a team from Fort Worth, Texas.

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The Wild Huntsman podcast typically features authors of books related to all aspects of hunting but especially history and cultural aspects of hunting. LaMere鈥檚 interviews have included historians, gun makers, artists and knife experts.

Giltner is joined on the podcast by Johnathan Wilkins, head of Black Duck Revival, a lodge/educational center in Brinkley, Ark., that is working toward preserving traditions of duck hunting and celebrating the outdoor sporting traditions of people of color in particular.

Giltner鈥檚 book, published in 2008, re-examines the dynamics of race relations in the post鈥揅ivil War South from the perspective of field sports. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, wealthy white men from Southern cities and the industrial North traveled to the hunting and fishing lodges of the old Confederacy, escaping from the office to socialize among like-minded peers. These sportsmen depended on local black guides who knew the land and fishing holes and could ensure a successful outing. For whites, the ability to hunt and fish freely and employ black laborers became a conspicuous display of their wealth and social standing.

Hunting and fishing had been a way of life for all Southerners 鈥� blacks included 鈥� since colonial times. After the war, African Americans used their mastery of these sports to enter into market activities normally denied to people of color, thereby becoming more economically independent from their white employers. Whites came to view black participation in hunting and fishing as a serious threat to the South鈥檚 labor system. Giltner used slave narratives, sportsmen鈥檚 recollections, records of fish and game clubs, and sporting periodicals to offer perspective on the African American struggle for independence from the end of the Civil War to the 1920s.

鈥淭he Wild Huntsman鈥� can be found anywhere podcasts can be found (Apple, Spotify, etc.), or you can find them at聽

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Dr. Scott Giltner was featured in the podcast titled 鈥淏lack Codes, Segregation and the Ugly Legacy of White Supremacy and Jim Crow.” He discussed the immediate impact of the 13th Amendment and how Southern leaders attempted to maintain power and economic control. The discussion included the philosophy that formed the basis for white supremacy and how it was used to justify repression of the black population.

Giltner explained the origins of the term 鈥淛im Crow鈥� and offered examples of segregation laws and their impact on black citizens in the 1880s to the 1960s. He talked about early opposition to Jim Crow, including the Plessy v. Ferguson case that established the concept of 鈥渟eparate but equal,鈥� and its political impact in the form of the 鈥済randfather clause,鈥� poll taxes and literacy tests.

Dr. Patrick Hotle was featured in the podcast titled 鈥淚stanbul, Not Constantinople: History of the Byzantine Empire and the Ancient City of Constantinople.鈥� He discussed the history of the Byzantine Empire and the ancient city of Constantinople. He explained the division of the Roman Empire under Diocletian and establishment of the city of Constantinople by Constantine, then emphasized the geographic and economic importance of the location of the Byzantine capital.

Hotle emphasized the concept of 鈥淣ova Roma鈥� and the difference between the Eastern and Western Roman Empires. He details the reign of Justinian, his territorial ambitions and the establishment of the Justinian Code. He tells of General Belisarius’s military conquests and his role in defeating the Nika Rebellion. The history of Empress Theodora and her importance to Justinian are the focus of the second half of the discussion. Hotle completes the conversation with a description of the Hagia Sophia, the rise of Islam in the region and the eventual fall of Constantinople in 1453.

Both hour-long podcasts can be found at聽.

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Faculty co-sponsors Dr. Scott Giltner, professor of history and chair of the Applied Liberal Arts and Sciences Division, and Dr. Alissa Burger, assistant professor of English and director of retention, welcomed the new members into the society. Giltner delivered this year鈥檚 charge to the inductees, family and friends.

The students inducted into Alpha Chi were:

• Cheyenne Bequette, a junior English major from Fenton, Mo.
• Jakob Happel, a junior health science and physical therapy major from Salem, Mo.
• Abigail Huber, a junior accountancy and finance major from Quincy, Ill.
• Mabry Lewis, a senior elementary education major from Granite City, Ill.
• Madeline Moody, a junior criminal justice major from Cornland, Ill.
• Sydney Neuner, a junior elementary education major from Loose Creek, Mo.
• Keelie O鈥橞rien, a junior art education major from Kahoka, Mo.
• Mackenzie Patrick, a junior elementary education and early childhood major from Carthage, Ill.
• Jillian Scholes, a junior psychology and criminal justice major from Wentzville, Mo.
• Mathew Scoggin, a junior nursing major from LaBelle, Mo.
• Dannicka Wiseman, a junior psychology and occupational therapy major from Monticello, Mo.

Alpha Chi was founded in 1922 and honors juniors and seniors in the top 10 percent of their class. It 聽has more than 300 chapters nationally and works toward the goal of 鈥淢aking Scholarship Effective for Good.鈥�

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