35th Annual Symposium, 1942: The Perilous Year

September 17th, 2022 the National Museum of the Pacific War (NMPW) and the Admiral Nimitz Foundation (ANF) presented their 35th Annual Symposium, “1942: The Perilous Year.” After a COVID hiatus the event was back to an in-person format and for the first time also offered a virtual viewing component. The focus of the program was how the year 1942 was truly the hinge point of World War II.

The Symposium began Friday evening with a special pre-conference dinner and tribute to the late James D. Hornfischer, award-winning naval historian and author. The Museum presented a memorial plaque for Hornfischer that will officially be installed in our Memorial Courtyard fall of 2022. The program continued on Saturday, September 17 with sessions and panel discussions that highlighted the perils of 1942. Session topics covered Guadalcanal, the U.S. Army in the Pacific War, the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPS), the strength of the Allies and Axis power, and the effective Pacific theatre command of Admiral Chester W. Nimitz.

Our speakers were world-class historians with diverse backgrounds and experiences. Their presentations and discussions were about how America responded in 1942 when faced with a world war and potential existential threat. Speakers included Jonathan Parshall, acclaimed World War II published scholar and lecturer for the U.S. Naval War College; Richard B. Frank, internationally recognized author on WWII; John C. McManus, Curators’ Distinguished Professor of U.S. Military History at the Missouri University of Science and Technology; Katherine Sharp Landdeck, Professor of History at Texas Women’s University; and Craig L. Symonds, WWII expert and professor of History emeritus at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. We thank them for their time and in-person participation this year.

For many attendees, this was the best Symposium they had attended in years. They really enjoyed the opportunity to pose questions and interact with the speakers and chat with fellow attendees. The intimate nature of the event was a key benefit for in-person attendees.

“I am quite proud of what our team accomplished at this year’s symposium. Not only did we have five world-class historians on-site to discuss the topic “1942 – The Perilous Year”, but for the first time, we hosted a simultaneous in-person and online symposium. We had participants from across the country join our in-person attendees,” said Museum President and CEO Michael Hagee. “Our employees and volunteers did a terrific job making a challenging task look easy. We have received an overwhelmingly positive response from both in-person and virtual participants. This new capability along with our distant learning program allows us to continue to expand our ability to inform and inspire.”

Along with returning to in-person attendance, this was also the first year the Museum was able to award professional development credits for teachers and librarians attending the symposium. The National Museum of the Pacific War is an approved Continuing Professional Education (CPE) Provider in Texas through the Texas Education Agency (TEA). Teachers also received a specialized “Year of Peril” lesson plan to take back to their classrooms. Professor for Premont Collegiate High School and Coastal Bend College, Sharon Wilson said, “As a dual enrollment History educator, I am very thankful to the National Museum of the Pacific War for hosting this symposium. I enjoyed every minute and consider it one of the best professional development sessions I have had in a long time. I gained a lot of new information that I am excited to be able to share with my students and I look forward to attending again next year.”

This Symposium could not have been presented without our donors and sponsors. We thank all of our sponsors and participants over the years. Your dedicated support makes it possible for us to provide onsite and virtual events to increase awareness and knowledge of how average Americans managed the extraordinary challenges of the Pacific War and the continued global relevance of those events today.

Thank you to Fredericksburg Inn and Suites, Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn, and La Quinta for offering special rates for our Symposium attendees and guests.