Interview with Robert Nye

Partial Transcript: I propose here to say a few words that will help contextualize George Mosse's lecture...

Segment Synopsis: Although Mosse was not a direct advisor of Nye's, he was very influential in his academic career. He took most of his classes and Mosse was an aide while he was working on his thesis.

Keywords: Friend; Graduate student; Influence; Masculinity; Mentor; Mosse

Partial Transcript: This lecture was the first of three he gave at Cornell in 1989...

Segment Synopsis: Nye discusses Mosse's guest lectures that he have at Cornell University. This occurred in a three part series and discussed sexuality and politics in Europe. Gender helps characterize history, but Mosse saw outside the usual binary. Mosse believed that society constructed an image of manliness and this was to be dominant in society.

Keywords: Gender; Lecture; Masculinity; Nation-state; Politics; Sexuality; Themes; Worthiness

Partial Transcript: Gender history only hit its stride in the 1980s.

Segment Synopsis: Nye continues to remark on Mosse's work as a pioneer in the field of gender history. His discoveries in sports, the arts, and communities fueled different perspectives on what manliness looked like in the early centuries.

Keywords: Beauty; Individualism; Manliness; Masculinity; Nationality; Sexuality; War

Partial Transcript: When George talks about the "new Jew", the "new Italian", or the "new German man"...

Segment Synopsis: Nye elaborates on Mosse's discussion of the "new man" needed to build a new nation as egalitarian society. Mosse shares that men are to have a certain set of qualities to be a manly enough man in these societies. Although this definition was different. it still enforced the same gender roles and values. Norms like these were constructed as "national historical projects", explaining a country's success and failures throughout history.

Keywords: Committment; Heteronormativity; Historical projects; Man; New; Steadfastness; Strength

Partial Transcript: The Olympic games, founded in 1896 by the Frenchman...

Segment Synopsis: Nye discusses the creation of the Olympic games. Sports were used as a competitive alternative to war. Mosse was one of the first to recognize the ties between sports, masculinity, and the nation-state. Similarly, he characterizes the era with anxiety that was attributed to male illness. Now, they were subject to the same illnesses as women, including homosexuality.

Keywords: Competition; Fitness; Homosexuality; Illness; Inversion; National; Nerotic; Nervousness; War

Partial Transcript: In effect, as I have argued myself elsewhere, the 19th century had begun to question...

Segment Synopsis: Nye discusses his own work on the difference between biological sex and gender, showing that much more exists beyond the binary. Exceptions to these gender binaries worried society as it was now seen as unstable, described as a cultural crisis. George's own sexuality influenced his contributions to these conversations as he saw literature as the beginning of revolution. It was a lively presentation and Nye is very nostalgic.

Keywords: Biological; Decadence; Feminine; Gender; George; Literature; Non-conformists; Nostalgia; Sex; Sexual orientation; Stability

Partial Transcript: The graduates, people from the community, and then undergraduates from the HebrewU.

Segment Synopsis: Nye touches on how this would have not been able in the "old days." The online format has allowed the lectures to go global and reach a wider audience. They then switch gears to discuss the oral history program. Nye recollects on the reunions and forums that draw a large crowd, which is just shocking to see. He was surprised by the huge amount of interest in the topic area.

Keywords: Arts; Extraordinary; Forums; Global; Goldberg; Humanities; Interactive; Memories; Reunion; Science

Partial Transcript: So, we're going to back up a little bit.

Segment Synopsis: Nye was born in Concord, CA and grew up near Berkeley. He moved north before attending school. He recalls his great education, something his parents never had. His family was lower-middle class. The lack of security of his parent's jobs made him look for stability, meaning higher education. Nye chose to go to college at San Jose State, playing on a basketball scholarship. Faculty helped him succeed. It was a thriving time at university as money was everywhere. He didn't play basketball after sophomore year, but worked as an RA.

Keywords: Basketball; California; Education; Faculty; Family; Lower-middle class; University

Partial Transcript: Were there classes or instructors that really stood out and pushed you towards history?

Segment Synopsis: His favorite high school teacher came from his world civilization class, who encouraged him greatly. From that point on, he wanted to be a high school teacher. Scholars who taught him in college sought him out, like Charles Bordick and Irma Eichhorn. He then decided to apply to graduate programs, getting a one-year fellowship at UW-Madison. He did not get into Mosse's seminar, but studied French history. He wrote his master's thesis on French military history, but he wanted to learn intellectual history with Mosse. Nye later found a topic in Mosse's class.

Keywords: College; Encouragement; European; Examination; Fellowship; French; German; Graduate; History; Intellectual; Italian; Language; Latin; Library; Literature; Master's; Military; Mosse; Professor; Seminar; Teacher; Thesis

Partial Transcript: Were you involved?
Yes.
To what extent?

Segment Synopsis: Nye connects the people of the 1960's to radical thinkers like Bernie Sanders. Mosse and Nye both agreed that harsh disagreement and force were not ways to build coalition and create change. Nye was a TA and part of the graduate student union during the Dow Chemical strike. TA's wanted students to be involved in protests, but Nye wanted to make it more of a lesson. Most TAs followed his idea and helped raise student consciousness. This helped in his time at other universities as well.

Keywords: '60s; Bernie Sanders; Consciousness; Early modern; European; History; Kent State; Lessons; TA; Vietnam

Partial Transcript: Just as a sort of side issue and this is kind of important...

Segment Synopsis: Nye shares how the draft now became an area of concern for graduate students. Many of his fellow students came from areas of active recruiting and they often feared a medical examination or draft call. This helped many students become more anti-war or radical. He discusses a few methods he tried to get away from the draft. The lottery system only came later, so he was prepared to leave if possible. These times were very formative in his political beliefs.

Keywords: Activism; Annul; Draft; Lottery; Men; Radical; Recruiting; War

Partial Transcript: If it's a good time, I'm going to run quickly to the restroom.

Segment Synopsis: Skye and Nye take a quick break. Then, they discuss the re-publication of a few of Mosse's lectures and the idea of Nye possibly writing an introduction to one of these.

Keywords: Reissues; The Crisis of the German Ideology; The Nationalization of the Masses

Partial Transcript: I have a question about basketball actually.

Segment Synopsis: Skye and Nye discuss Nye's basketball career. Earlier, Nye remarked that he was a man of sport and Mosse was not as much. He later left the team due to racial tension between other players on the team. Many of the players lacked true academic interest and the coach even falsified academic records to keep students on the team. They had to forfeit all of their games. This led Nye to quit the team. While at Madison, Nye got away from the sport a little bit, but later joined a city league.

Keywords: Activism; Basketball; George Mosse; League; Masculine; Politics; RA; Race; Records; Sport; Team; Teasing; Tension; Undergraduate; Varsity; Win

Partial Transcript: And I also, so, related to what you already talked about...

Segment Synopsis: Skye and Mosse discuss how the works of PHD students in the '60s have been able to endure as they are not too focused on theory, but on true activism. One cannot work only based on theory, they should be prepared for real-life situations. Theory should be used to explain real-life situations, like economics explaining political ramifications. Mosse did not always understand science or use it in his explanations. Mosse understood how to use high-level knowledge to explain facts, often criticizing students who had radical beliefs with a lack of facts.

Keywords: Activism; Book; Change; Class; Endurance; European history; PhD; Scholarship; Science

Partial Transcript: So let's chronologically go to as far as we've gotten...

Segment Synopsis: Skye and Nye give a timeline of Nye's career. Nye shares how he kept in touch with Mosse after leaving Madison. He also reflects on a colleague of his Mary Jo, who has become a top scholar in the history of science, after facing much resistance. After graduating with his master's he went to Oklahoma University to work on publishing his first book. They stayed in Oklahoma for 25 years. Mosse and Nye ran into each other often at American Historical Association events, becoming a reunion for many of Mosse's students. Mosse also kept in touch with many students and colleagues, meeting a few times with Nye outside of these conferences.

Keywords: American Historical Association; Book; Career; History; Job; Mosse; Oklahoma; Publish; Reunion; Sexuality; Tenure; Theology; Thesis

Partial Transcript: And then I wondered, related to the time period we are on...

Segment Synopsis: In his time at Oklahoma, Nye became an adjunct professor in the history of science department. When he eventually moved to Oregon State, he became a full member of the graduate faculty in history of science, which was housed in the history department. He taught history of science courses as well as intellectual history courses. Nye last taught about 5 or 6 years ago. He pioneered a course in the history of sexuality at Harvard, which followed his work at other universities. He remembers UW as the best years of his life.

Keywords: Courses; Friends; History; Intellectual; LGBTQ+; Men; Mentor; Oklahoma; Oregon State; Science; Sexuality; Survey; Teaching; Transgender; Violence; Women

Partial Transcript: Did you know that Mosse was gay when you were a student here?

Segment Synopsis: Nye remarks that he and many other students had some suspicions of Mosse being gay, but no one was ever sure. He says that many believed he was simply a "bachelor for life." Mosse's colleague Harvey was know to be gay, but Mosse was much more private about it. Mosse did share his beliefs about these topics very openly though. Mosse's homosexuality helped explain some assets of his interests and personality, but it didn't change any relationships Mosse had prior. He came out in the Netherlands and then brought it back to the states.

Keywords: Bachelor; Beard; Books; Closet; Gay; Netherlands; Out; Persecution

Partial Transcript: Final thoughts? Any last...?

Segment Synopsis: Nye thanks Skye and the Mosse project for their work. He thinks it's so important to capture history as it's occurring. They then wrap up the interview.

Keywords: Commitment; Contributions; History