Female Scholar Of U.S. History May Be Tenured

A Pulitzer Prize-winning candidate for a joint professorship in the Women's Studies committee and the History department could be offered tenure within the month.

Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, professor of American history and women's studies at the University of New Hampshire (UNH), is in the middle of the tenure evaluation process, officials confirmed yesterday.

If Ulrich joins the Faculty, she would be the first woman ever at Harvard to hold a full professorship in the American history division of Harvard's history department. Ulrich specializes in American history before 1820, especially social history.

"I think she would bring an important perspective to that wing of the history department," said Juliet Schor, director of studies of the committee on women's studies. "The implications are very positive. History is a central discipline in women's studies, and we have long wanted to have an American historian" in women's studies.

Ulrich said that she is waiting for an offer before she decides whether she wants the position.

"It's not a formal offer and I haven't made any decisions," she said. "I'm certainly going to consider it very, very seriously."

Tenure committees in history and women's studies have recommended her.

Before she is offered tenure, Ulrich must be evaluated by an ad hoc committee which is comprised of four to six people familiar with her field. Two or three of the committee members are not from Harvard, and those from Harvard are not from her prospective departments.

If the committee recommends her, President Neil L. Rudenstine and Harvard's two governing boards still must approve the offer.

However, sources said Ulrich should have no problem securing a tenure offer. Many of Ulrich's colleagues praised her yesterday.

"Laura Ulrich is a marvelous historian," said History Department Chair Thomas N. Bisson.

The chair of women's studies, Professor of Romance and Comparative Languages Susan R. Suleiman, also said she was pleased with the candidate.

"We conducted a joint search with the history department," Suleiman said. "Everyone's very happy because we all came up with our preferred candidate."

If she does come to Harvard, Ulrich would likely teach Women's Studies 10a, "Roots of Feminism," and a seminar of her choice, according to Schor. "At some point, the other thing she may end up doing is chairing Women's Studies," Schor added. The chair of women's studies rotates every few years.

A faculty position in women's studies has been open for more than a year after Kenan Professor of History and of Women's Studies Olwen Hufton resigned in 1993.

Because she would split her time with the history department, Ulrich would only fill half the position. To fill the other half, women's studies is conducting a joint search with the sociology department, Schor said.

Schor lauded Ulrich's work in the field. "She is an absolute top-rate scholar whose work has garnered tremendous praise and a large number of prizes," Schor said.

Ulrich won the 1991 Pulitzer Prize in history for "A Midwife's Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard, Based on Her Diary, 1785-1812."

If Ulrich came, she would not need a map of Boston. She lived in Boston from 1960 to 1970 and even wrote a guidebook, "Beginner's Boston." Ulrich has been on the faculty at UNH since 1980, teaching American social history and women's history. She also received her Ph.D. in history from UNH. Writing interests her most, she said. "It's very important to me to create worlds that people can enjoy who are not necessarily academics," Ulrich said.

Her philosophy of teaching history is to keep it close to home, she said. "You make it real," Ulrich said. "You make it human. You touch areas of life that continue to matter.

"We conducted a joint search with the history department," Suleiman said. "Everyone's very happy because we all came up with our preferred candidate."

If she does come to Harvard, Ulrich would likely teach Women's Studies 10a, "Roots of Feminism," and a seminar of her choice, according to Schor. "At some point, the other thing she may end up doing is chairing Women's Studies," Schor added. The chair of women's studies rotates every few years.

A faculty position in women's studies has been open for more than a year after Kenan Professor of History and of Women's Studies Olwen Hufton resigned in 1993.

Because she would split her time with the history department, Ulrich would only fill half the position. To fill the other half, women's studies is conducting a joint search with the sociology department, Schor said.

Schor lauded Ulrich's work in the field. "She is an absolute top-rate scholar whose work has garnered tremendous praise and a large number of prizes," Schor said.

Ulrich won the 1991 Pulitzer Prize in history for "A Midwife's Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard, Based on Her Diary, 1785-1812."

If Ulrich came, she would not need a map of Boston. She lived in Boston from 1960 to 1970 and even wrote a guidebook, "Beginner's Boston." Ulrich has been on the faculty at UNH since 1980, teaching American social history and women's history. She also received her Ph.D. in history from UNH. Writing interests her most, she said. "It's very important to me to create worlds that people can enjoy who are not necessarily academics," Ulrich said.

Her philosophy of teaching history is to keep it close to home, she said. "You make it real," Ulrich said. "You make it human. You touch areas of life that continue to matter.