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Professor of History, Department of History and Political Science

Professor Emerita

1989

Bio:

Joining Mercy College of Detroit in 1952 as an Assistant Professor of History, Department of History and Political Science, Dr. Thomson was promoted to Associate Professor in 1954, and earned full Professor rank in 1958.  She served as chair of Department of History and Political Science from 1960-1989.  She also was an Adjunct Professor of History at University of Detroit Mercy (1989-1991).  

Prior to joining Mercy College of Detroit, she was a Professor of Latin at Istituto Magistrale Superiore Pescia Italy, and Professor of Philosophy at Istituto Magistrale Superiore Montecatini Italy, Professor of Humanities at Istituto de Carlo Lucca Italy, Professor of Latin and Italian at the Royal School of Classical Studies Viareggio Italy, Instructor of History, Rhode Island College of Education Providence Rhode Island, and taught History at Newton College of the Sacred Heart Newton Massachusetts. 

She hold a Maturita Classica (1937), a Doctor of Letters and Philosophy (1941) from the University of Pisa Italy and a Special Diploma from Ministro Dell’Education, Cazione Nazionale, Rome (1943).

During her career at Mercy College of Detroit for the Department of History she taught Western Civilization, World Civilization, Europe Since 1500, Foundations of Civilization, The World Since 1870, Latin American History, Roman Historians, Age of Absolutism, History of England, England to 1688, England Since 1688, and Modern Russia.  For Modern Languages she taught elementary and intermediate French, French conversation, elementary and intermediate Italian, Italian conversation and Italian readings.  For the Department of Education she taught Educational Psychology and Philosophy of Education.  For the social sciences, she taught Contemporary Society, Principles of Geography, Economic Geography, and Social Thought.

In a letter to the Academic Dean of Mercy College of Detroit a colleague, Mary Lou Callahan, wrote the following: “I have known Dr. Thomson for more than sixteen years, as a member of the Department, and have been keenly aware of the skill and tack with which she coordinates the activities of our two disciplines.  She directs the work of our Department by suggestion, by cultivating individual abilities and giving them a free rein, and by assuming the bulk of the many administrative details herself.  I know of no other department on campus which has such cordial relations and good communication between the chairman and the faculty members.”

“Dr. Thomson is an able historian and effective teacher.  She was one of the first recipients of the Distinguished Faculty Member awards.  I have never heard a comment on her teaching abilities other than the most flattering terms, both from students and from faculty who have had an opportunity to visit her classes.  She consistently ranks at the top whenever polls are taken of students about their favorite instructors.  Beyond her skills in communicating historical concepts, she is gifted as an historian and translator and serves in these latter capacities for professional publications.”

She served as a member of Committee on Tenure and Promotion Committee and was the President of Mercy College AAUP and a Council Member for Mercy College Lay Faculty Association.  She served on the Academic Dean’s Advisory Committee, the Curriculum Committee, the Administrative Council, Discipline Committee, Educational Policies Commission, and Honors Committee.

She was a member of the American Council of Learned Societies, American Historical Society, American Catholic Historical Society, American Academy of Political and Social Sciences, the Michigan Academy of Arts and Letters, and American Sociological Association.  She was appointed a member of the National Commission for the USA Bicentennial – The Italian Contribution.  She also served as the Michigan representative to the Organization of American Historians – American History Association Committee on the Status of History in the Schools and was on the Steering Committee of the Southeast Michigan Historians.

She was the recipient of the Distinguished Faculty Award (1966) from Mercy College of Detroit and listed in The Worlds Who’s Who of Women (1973).

The Professor Emerita honor was bestowed on Dr. E. Julianna Thomson by Sr. Maureen A. Fay, O.P., President, Mercy College of Detroit.  Professor Thomson entered eternal life in 2015.

Mercy College of Detroit

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