EVANSVILLE, IND. (09/24/2025) Pulitzer Prize-nominated historian Dr. Kate Masur will speak on Post-Civil War Reconstruction during the annual Thomas C. Fiddick Memorial Lecture Series on Friday, October 24, at 7:00 p.m. in Eykamp Hall. The event is free and open to the public.
Professor Masur will discuss her book, Equal: The Surprising History of an American Founding Concept, focusing on the Reconstruction Era, when Americans first attempted to build a nation that truly reflected the Declaration of Independence’s assertion that “all men are created equal.” She will explore how the constitutional changes of Reconstruction continue to shape contemporary life, and why the period is often overlooked or misunderstood.
In her lecture, Masur will also examine how historians’ interpretations of Reconstruction have evolved over time and why the practice of “revisionism” is a vital part of historical scholarship.
Dr. Masur is the John D. MacArthur Professor at Northwestern University and author of Until Justice Be Done: America’s First Civil Rights Movement, from the Revolution to Reconstruction, a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Her most recent work includes Freedom Was in Sight! A Graphic History of Reconstruction in the Washington, D.C., Region.
This lecture is presented as part of the annual Thomas C. Fiddick Memorial Lecture, established in 2002 by former students with the support of Fiddick’s friends and the University. Each year, a committee consisting of full-time members of the Department of History, a member of the Fiddick family, and alumni of the Department selects the lecturer.
About Thomas C. Fiddick:
Thomas Fiddick served as a professor of history at the University of Evansville from the fall of 1963 to the spring of 2002. Over his 39-year career, he was a dedicated teacher, a productive scholar, and a tireless advocate for justice. His untimely death on the day of his retirement in 2002 shocked the University community, particularly his many former students.
Event Details:
- What: Thomas C. Fiddick Memorial Lecture by Dr. Kate Masur on Reconstruction
- When: Friday, October 24, 2025, at 7:00 p.m.
- Where: Eykamp Hall, University of Evansville
- Cost: Free and open to the public
