For Thomas Profit (’27 history, education), studying history is not just about the monumental happenings. It’s about uncovering the roots of these events, discovering the forces that shaped them, and listening to the people who lived through them.
“Discovering why something happens, and the context leading up to where we are today, is something I feel is important for us to understand,” Profit said.
Profit had the opportunity to dig beneath the surface in his History 3010 class The Historian’s Toolbox, while researching the impact of the 1980s farm crisis on Iowa State students.
“I thought there was a lot in the farm crisis that goes beyond what people think about,” he said.
This was personal as well. Profit is deeply rooted in a farm family.
“I‘ve been around my grandparents’ farm, and they lived through the farm crisis,” Profit said. “It’s part of what shaped them.”
His research gave him the chance to conduct interviews, explore the University Archives, and read through past issues of “The Bomb,” the former Iowa State University yearbook. The history department faculty was also an invaluable resource.
“They love what they teach. They love to see students and young people interested in it. They love just talking about it. It’s something that is truly valuable,” Profit said.
Unexpectedly, Profit’s research uncovered how the 1980s farm crisis negatively impacted Iowa State students. “My research really took a turn when I discovered the mental health epidemic that was happening on campus at the time,” Profit said. “There were five students that committed suicide in 1985. I really dug into the causes and how it reflected what was happening across the state because a lot of people just think about rural communities, but there were students coming from those areas who had those experiences.”
Profit is currently working with Amy Rutenberg, associate professor of history, to refine and expand his paper into an article for publication in “The Annals of Iowa,” a State Historical Society of Iowa publication that will present these stories to a wider audience.
Unearthing these stories and their quiet histories have given Profit a lesson that he will carry into his future teaching career and beyond.
“Another thing that’s really helped me is knowing that everyone has experiences that they carry with them that maybe aren’t super evident to everyone,” Profit said. “I think that’s going to help me not only professionally but just in my life.”