Joseph Beilein Jr., Ph.D.

Associate Professor, History
jmb79@psu.edu
Office Phone: 814-898-6451
Office Location: 127 Kochel
Mailing Address:
0170 IRVIN KOCHEL CENTER
BEHREND
ERIE, PA 16563

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Bio

Before arriving at Penn State Behrend, Joe received his B.A. in history from Kenyon College and his M.A. and Ph.D., both in history, from the University of Missouri. His greatest area of interest is the history of the American Civil War with specializations in guerrilla warfare and gender. Joe is the author of the recently published article, “The Guerrilla Shirt: A Labor of Love and the Style of Rebellion in Civil War Missouri,” which appeared in the journal Civil War History in June 2012. He enjoys teaching courses in American History, the History of the Civil War, and American Military History and sharing his passion for history with the students at Penn State Behrend.

Courses Taught

  • HIST 020, American Civilization to 1877
  • HIST 130, Introduction to the Civil War Era, 1848 through 1877

Recent Conference Participation

  • “’Nothing But Truth is History’: William E. Connelley, William H. Gregg, and the Pillaging of Guerrilla History,” Society of Civil War Historians Biennial Conference, Lexington, Kentucky, June 14-16, 2012.
  • Missouri Secessionist Households, Chair, 53rd Annual Missouri Conference on History, Kansas City, Missouri, April 15, 2011.
  • Roundtable: Directions in Missouri’s Civil War History, Panelist, 53rd Annual Missouri Conference on History, Kansas City, Missouri, April 14, 2011.
  • “The Hired-Hand: William Clarke Quantrill, the Household, and Missouri’s Organic System of Warfare,” 7th Graduate Conference on History, University of Missouri, Department of History, April 16, 2010.
  • “The Guerrilla Shirt: A Labor of Love in Missouri’s Civil War,” Suprea Utilitatem: Finding Artistry in Functionality, Graduate Student Symposium, Department of Art History and Archaeology, University of Missouri, February 27, 2010.

Invited Talks and Other Presentations

  • “The Guerrilla Shirt,” The Friends of the James Farm Annual Meeting, Jesse James Farm and Museum, Kearney, Missouri, June 9, 2012.
  • “The Guerrilla Shirt: A Labor of Love and the Style of Rebellion in Civil War Missouri,” Border Wars Conference, Kansas City, November 11, 2011.
  • “Guerrilla Men, Rebel Women, and Household War in Civil War Missouri,” University of Central Missouri, Warrensburg, October 4, 2011.
  • “Historian At War: William E. Connelley and the Creation of the Savage Guerrilla,” Border Wars Symposium, Hall Center for the Humanities, University of Kansas, April 6-8, 2011.
Research Interests
Civil War, guerrilla warfare, gender, material culture, and alcohol.