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Public invited to Dr. Seuss Goes to War presentation Sunday | Bismarck State College

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Public invited to Dr. Seuss Goes to War presentation Sunday

Published: Oct 31 2017
Dr. Seuss
The public is invited to attend “Dr. Seuss Goes to War” a presentation by Dr. Perry Hornbacher, BSC professor of History, on Sunday, November 5 at 2 p.m. in LEA 204, the BSC Library conference room on the second floor of LEA Hall.
 
Theodor Seuss Geisel published his first children's book, And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, under the name of Dr. Seuss in 1937, followed by The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins (1938), Horton Hatches the Egg (1940), and The Cat in the Hat (1957). His children’s books are familiar, distinctive, and memorable, but there is another side to Dr. Seuss. He was also a master of political cartoons.
 
Hornbacher will look at Dr. Seuss’ career from 1941 to 1943 when his cartoons dealt with the issues of World War II. During that time, Dr. Seuss put his name to more than 400 editorial cartoons published in PM, a New York magazine tabloid, almost all of which dealt with issues of foreign policy. Many of the distinctive characters from his children’s books were used to illustrate important messages in support of going to war when America was still battling a powerful isolationist viewpoint. When America did join the war after December 7, 1941, Dr. Seuss’ editorial cartoons spoke out on many of the issues that faced a nation at war.
 
Hornbacher is a recipient of a BSC Bringing Humanities to Life fellowship to pursue research and professional development involving the Humanities. As part of that fellowship, he is sharing what he learned in his research with the community at large.  
 
Learn more about the Humanities at BSC at www.bismarckstate.edu/community/humanities/.