Former DOJ Chief of Investigative Research to address community.
Professor of History John Rodrigue and his colleagues had specific criteria in mind when choosing a speaker for Stonehill College’s upcoming Kenneally/Salameno Lecture, scheduled to take place on March 23.
“We were looking for a top scholar, someone who is doing interesting and important work from a historical standpoint,” Rodrigue said. “We also wanted someone who can speak to both history majors and a more general audience in an accessible way.”
Fortunately, the event’s organizers have found the perfect person for the job: David G. Marwell, Ph.D. The historian worked for the United States Department of Justice for nine years. As Chief of Investigative Research, he supported the investigation and prosecution of Nazi war criminals. Specifically, he played a major part in the investigations of Klaus Barbie, “The Butcher of Lyon,” and Josef Mengele, “The Angel of Death.” Later in his career, Marwell also held leadership roles with the Berlin Document Center, the JFK Assassination Records Review Board, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the Museum of Jewish Heritage.
Marwell’s address to the Stonehill community will focus on his 2020 book, Mengele: Unmasking the “Angel of Death.” The biography describes Mengele’s training as a scientist, investigates the deadly experiments he performed on prisoners at Auschwitz and explores his escape to South America after World War II.
“Josef Mengele has assumed a symbolic — almost mythic — role, representing the Holocaust itself as well as the escape from justice of too many Nazi criminals,” Marwell said. “I will try to strip away the myth that has attached itself to Mengele.”
The upcoming Kenneally/Salameno presentation combines two lectures that are traditionally held separately—the James J. Kenneally Lecture Series and the Salameno Lecture Series. Over the years, these events have become hallmarks of Stonehill’s Department of History.
The James J. Kenneally Lecture Series was named in honor of a former history professor who founded the College’s Catholic-Jewish Dialogue Committee in 1993. This group was created to help foster unity between Christians and Jews. The Kenneally Lecture Series seeks to do the same.
“At Stonehill, we educate the whole person in the interest of helping students create a more just and compassionate world. One way we do this is by impressing upon them the importance of interfaith dialogue. I believe David Marwell’s lecture will help strengthen Stonehill’s existing commitment to interfaith understanding,” said Rev. Kevin P. Spicer, C.S.C., dean of the May School of Arts & Sciences and the College’s James J. Kenneally Distinguished Professor of History.
The Salameno Lecture Series was established to bring reputable historians to campus as guest speakers. The series is named after former trustees Lawrence and Theresa Salameno. In 2006, the couple created the Lawrence and Theresa Salameno Chair in History, the College’s first endowed chair.
“The Kenneally and Salameno Lectures provide Stonehill students opportunities to hear from nationally and even internationally renowned historians. Such experiences serve to broaden their points of view on myriad topics. I encourage all members of our community to attend David Marwell’s upcoming lecture,” said Rodrigue, the College’s Lawrence and Theresa Salameno Professor of History.
Above: Photo by Melanie Einzig.
