Make history come alive. Wilkes University is located in the heart of Wilkes-Barre’s vibrant historical district, which makes it an ideal location for learning about and sharing history. History is alive on the Wilkes campus, from the Victorian mansions that the university has reused to a department rich in historical expertise that spans time periods and continents.

Experience history at Wilkes. With the Luzerne County Historical Society just one block away, the Steamtown National Historical Site nearby, numerous state historical sites in the area, and study abroad possibilities, students can meld on-campus and off-campus experiences. Wilkes students have worked on exhibits and done historical research at the Luzerne County Historical Society, Eckley Miners Village, Pittston Historical Society, and the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. They have also organized archives for the American Red Cross, produced historical documentaries for local television, conducted a local oral history project, and brought their skills in writing and research to internships in legal services organizations. Recent graduates have pursued careers in high school and college teaching, museum work, law, and library science on the university level.

While Wilkes offers a strong foundation in the traditional history courses, courses that cover progressive topics such as Islam, Material Culture, and American Women's History are options for our students.

Our actively publishing faculty include: 

Dr. Dennis Hupchick, a leading scholar on the Balkans who has published extensively on Eastern Europe. His most recent book is The Balkans: From Constantinople to Communism.

Dr. John Hepp, whose book, The Middle-Class City: Transforming Time and Space in Philadelphia, 1876-1926, was published in 2003 by the University of Pennsylvania Press. He is currently finishing a book on the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia.

Dr. Diane Wenger, whose book, The Country Storekeeper in Pennsylvania: Creating Networks in Early America, 1790-1807, was published by Penn State Press in 2008.

Dr. Michael Davidson, who works on Britain and Ireland and is revising his Ph.d. thesis, Submission and Imperium in the Early Medieval Insular World, for publication.  

Wilkes history professors also extend their teaching well beyond the classroom.  Dr. Hepp has led annual interdisciplinary study tours of London, England, while Dr. Hupchick recently took the first Wilkes study tour to Istanbul, Turkey. The department also offers specialized pre-law and business advising. There is also an active student-run History Club (check them out on “facebook”!) that sponsors campus events and trips to such sites as Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. Wilkes also hosts an established chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, the national history honor society.