ABSTRACT
An inspiring paper was read at the first meeting of the American Historical Association in 1884 by its president, Andrew Dickson White, who worked in many fields of history and whose hero was William Pitt Fessenden. President White, of Cornell University, complained about “excessive specialization” in historical studies that fastened upon graduate students “the character of petty annalists.” To balance such special work, he advocated “thoughtful study of great connected events.” 1
