The Robert W. Reeder I Memorial Endowed Professorship in History
The Robert W. Reeder I Memorial Endowed Professorship in History was created by Robert W. Reeder III in honor of his grandfather.
Robert W. Reeder I was a life-long resident of Youngstown and, later in life, Greenfield, Ohio. In order to support his family, Reeder had to go to work in the steel mills as a teenager and never had the opportunity to pursue his dream–to go to college and law school.
Reeder loved reading and history in particular. In his retirement, he became President of the Columbiana Historical Society and spent much of his time traveling Ohio with his wife visiting historical sites. He was fascinated by transportation from the Erie Canal and horses and buggies to steam engines. Consistent with his interest in steam engines, he could be found every fall at the Canfield Fair participating as a member of the threshing crew at the steam engine exhibit. He also had a love for covered bridges and spent time in the Northeast going from one covered bridge to the next.
It is the intention of the Reeder family that this memorial endowment supports first generation college students as well as research into 19th and 20th century American history.
The Reeder Professor
The Reeder Professorship is currently held by Dr. Amy Laurel Fluker. Dr. Fluker specializes in the history of the 19th century U.S. and the American Civil War. She is the author of Commonwealth of Compromise: Civil War Commemoration in Missouri (The University of Missouri Press, 2020), as well as several articles and popular publications related to the Civil War and collective memory. In 2022, she was also the recipient of the YSU Distinguished Professor Award for Scholarship.