Teaching America’s Great Stories: History Professor Wilfred McClay
Written by Aubrey Gulick, ’23
For most Hillsdale students, the name of the newest history faculty member is already a familiar one. Dr. Wilfred McClay, a prestigious and prolific author, published Land of Hope: An Invitation to the Great American Story, in 2017. His book has become required reading for students taking the core course, American Heritage.
McClay said that he has always had a sense of admiration for the College, especially because it rejects government funding. When President Larry Arnn invited him to join the faculty at Hillsdale, he accepted: “It felt like a calling,” he said. This past fall, McClay left his position at the University of Oklahoma to accept the Victor Davis Hanson Chair in Classical History and Western Civilization at Hillsdale College. He joins his son, Dr. Mark McClay, a professor in the Classics Department.
For McClay, good storytelling is an integral part of telling the American historical story; however, he was not always dedicated to telling that story. When he graduated from St. John’s College with a degree in liberal arts in 1974, McClay did not plan to continue studying history. He was finished with academia—or so he thought. One of his earliest jobs was as an editor for the U.S. Naval Institute Press. McClay was assigned to edit history books: “I didn’t know anything about history,” he recalled. “I had had a great history course in high school, and I had to work with that.”
While editing huge and unpalatable manuscripts that read as dry archival works into palatable and enjoyable books, McClay discovered a passion for uniting the fascinating stories of the past with beautiful writing. He re-entered academic life at John Hopkins University, obtaining his Ph.D. in history in 1987 with a focus on American history.
For McClay, the highest form of praise for his books is that they are enjoyable; he has taken on the challenge of writing a fascinating story while trying to accomplish hard historical work. “The question is: how do you create a truthful and appropriate depiction of the past?” While many historians focus on the role ideas have played in the past, McClay has a different tactic. “There are limits in the role of ideas in history. In history, ideas are not in the driver’s seat; they are passengers,” he said.
In his first semester at Hillsdale College, McClay taught a few sections of Western Heritage, a required class for all Hillsdale students in their first semester at the College. He has been impressed with the caliber of the students. Furthermore, he has found that teaching a class intended to give students a survey of the past while providing context for future studies is a unique challenge. “You have to think very differently,” he said.
McClay said he is excited to begin to design upper-level history classes, potentially focusing on the development and history of American thought. He also looks forward to getting to know more students and faculty.
Aubrey Gulick is a junior from Dayton, Ohio, studying history and journalism. She is the oldest of 10 and enjoys playing music with her family while wrangling younger siblings. She hopes to continue pursuing writing and music after graduation, and to eventually raise a family of her own.
Published in December 2021