Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Spiegel makes history by studying it in New York

Photos and story by James Hill

During spring term, Portland Community College history student Caleb Spiegel was awarded a summer scholarship prize from the Gilder Lehrman Institute for American History – the only community college student in the nation picked.

In June, he spent a week in New York City to learn about what historians do and how to pursue his scholarly interest in the field. Spiegel and the 29 other students studied the political and civil climate at the onset of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln and New York City. They got guided tours and worked alongside respected historians James McPherson, Eric Foner, David Blight and others.

The Gilder Lehrman History Scholars selects 30 students nationwide – mostly from prestigious colleges from the Ivy League or universities across the country – who are invited to participate in a one-week research program in New York City at the end of June. Each scholar is awarded a fellowship worth $10,000 that includes tuition, books, field trips, travel allowance of $600 for transportation to and from the program in New York City, and room and board. The last Oregon student to earn this opportunity was a student from Reed College in 2009.

“The most well-known historians of that era in the country today will be sitting down with us,” Spiegel said before the trip. “One downer is that any history class I take from now on at PCC, the expectations of me will be through the roof. I’m very excited to be in New York, excited to represent PCC, Beverly Wirtz and excited to bring some of that back with me.”

Spiegel, 33, who teaches preschool, was selected based on a term paper he wrote for instructor Beverly Wirtz’s history class at the Cascade Campus. The subject matter was William Donovan, a leader of the defunct Office of Strategic Services. Like with everything he does, Spiegel went full bore into research mode, not only to impress his teacher (he got a 100 percent on it) but because he was intrigued by Donovan.

“I spent a lot of time working on this paper,” he said. “The last thing I wanted to do was hand her a paper and have her go, ‘Really?’ I took over the bedroom much to my girlfriend’s chagrin with all the books, papers, two computers spread out everywhere. I turned it in with trepidation and received a great review from Beverly. I learned more about writing a research paper by writing this paper than from any of my writing classes. It was an interesting paper about a fascinating man for a wonderful instructor.

“This is a great institution and there are amazing resources here,” Spiegel added. “It’s a nod to the institution here and whatever I can do to pay back I am more the willing to do.”

Wirtz said she is not surprised Spiegel was selected. She knows all too well how Spiegel’s mind works, how he latches onto a subject and researches it to its logical conclusion.

“This is why Caleb got his scholarship,” Wirtz said. “He is very inquisitive. He’s awfully kind but this is his deal. He won this, nobody else.”

The part-time musician is in his second year at PCC. He is studying history and would like to transfer to Portland State University or University of Portland when he finishes next year. Eventually, he said he wants to get a law degree.

Spiegel credits Tony Greiner (reference librarian), Penny Thompson (Student Learning Center coordinator) and Ross Kouzes (math instructor) in addition to Wirtz in giving him the support he needed to accomplish this. But apparently, not everyone was a believer in Spiegel earning this opportunity in New York. “Danny Miller? You owe me a dollar,” he said.