Get to know McPherson College's Auto Restoration Program (Ken Yohn & Kristie Sojka)

BREAK/FIX the Motorsports & Vehicle Enthusiast Podcast

The Automotive Restoration Technology program at McPherson College was established in 1976, and since its inception the curriculum has included the study of the technical and social history of the automobile. Given this experience, Yohn addresses how McPherson might inform teaching the specialized field of motor racing. He will begin by giving an overview of the McPherson automotive history curriculum and conclusions about substantive content choices and best teaching practices. By examining the comparative scope of automotive history and motor racing history, Yohn will present areas of substantial overlap and differentiation. Finally, he will present suggestions for curriculum and teaching practices. Participants will be requested to share their reflections on the following question: What 3 key topics should every motor racing historian understand?

(Part 1) Ken Yohn is a social scientist keenly interested in how the automobile shapes our lives. With a Ph.D. in political science and postdoctoral work in history and economics, Yohn has held faculty positions at universities in Japan, Germany, France, and Poland, including a sabbatical as scholar in residence at the University of Science and Technology in Lille, France. For the past 25 years Yohn has been teaching at McPherson College in Kansas, where he is currently chair of the history and politics department.

(Part 2) Kristie Sojka earned her BA in History from Wichita State University and her MLIS from Kent State University. She has worked in a variety of roles in Kansas libraries for the past 13 years. Sojka is currently entering her third year as the director of library services at Miller Library McPherson College. Her responsibilities include providing library and research services, support, and instruction to the entire campus community. She also oversees the two special collections located within Miller Library: the Brethren and College Archives and the Paul Russell and Company Center for Automotive Research, which houses the special automotive materials collection. Sojka is currently serving as vice president of the College and University Libraries Section of the Kansas Library Association.

The Paul Russell and Company Center for Automotive Research housed within Miller Library at McPherson College currently holds over 5,000 automotive related titles. This presentation will consider the benefits and challenges of curating a special library collection and archives, which supports automotive restoration education. The presenter will discuss the types of materials currently available to researchers, the varying processes of obtaining materials, and options for organizing the collection.

This episode is part of our HISTORY OF MOTORSPORTS SERIES and is sponsored in part by: The International Motor Racing Research Center (IMRRC), The Society of Automotive Historians (SAH), The Watkins Glen Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Argetsinger Family - and was recorded in front of a live studio audience.

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