Speaker shows merit of senior thesis

Although the majority of students dread a lengthy senior thesis, perhaps they would view the project more favorably if it involved a subject as intriguing as sex, politics, religion and the life of Henry Ward Beecher. They might even be able to use it as the foundation for a nationally acclaimed book, as in the case of Debby Applegate, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning biography The Most Famous Man in America. Applegate spoke at the event, "Sex, Politics, and Religion, Or How I Turned My Undergraduate Thesis into a Pulitzer Prize-Winning Biography." Sponsored by the American Studies Program, the history department, Religion and the Arts, and the College of Arts and Sciences, it was the first in a three-part American Speakers Series. Applegate's interest in Henry Ward Beecher was sparked while working at a library as an undergraduate student at Amherst College.

She then chose Beecher as her thesis topic and, as the title of the event states, after 20 years of research, turned her American studies dissertation into the winner of the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Biography.

Although Beecher died as the most famous man in America, Applegate said that his story was forgotten in the 20th century.

She viewed researching and writing her book as an attempt to bring him back to life, a task which did not prove to be easy.

"My aim is to restore him to his rightful place in history, without whitewashing his sins," said Applegate on the book's Web site.

Applegate told the story of the 19th century preacher whose political life was defined by controversy. Highly regarded by intellectuals of his time such as Walt Whitman, Beecher would be instrumental in the abolition of slavery.

Although Beecher had a distinctly different approach from his sister Harriet Beecher Stowe, the author of Uncle Tom's Cabin, he earned fame for his riveting sermons, and hundreds came to hear him preach.

A sex scandal would eventually end his career at its peak, but not his fame. "Like a lot of people, I found him lovable," Applegate said.

Although both her senior thesis and The Most Famous Man in America shared Beecher as their subject, Applegate said the because she viewed each project differently, she really didn't use anything from her dissertation - other than her brain, she said - to write her book.

After finishing her thesis, she signed a contract to write the book in a year and a half.

However, it turned out to be a longer project than she had anticipated, requiring her to research in basements of libraries and in the houses of relatives of Beecher.

She even read the fan mail - positive and negative - of Beecher, and discovered that someone had once sent him a finger. Having spent 20 years researching and writing her books, Applegate stated that it was hard at times, but the fear of having invested so much time and energy in the book and not finishing it kept her motivated.

"The last two years were sheer misery," Applegate said. "[But] the longer the book took [for research and writing], the better it had to be."

The book tells Beecher's history as a psychological thriller, although Applegate worked to make the story as accurate as possible, down to the weather on certain days and the travel time by stagecoach.

She also carefully researched Beecher's alleged adultery with Elizabeth Tilton, the wife of one of his friends; the details of the affair were never entirely determined, and Applegate therefore lets the reader choose what to believe. "The book is very readable, engaging, and entertaining," said Katie Bennett, a graduate student in the English department. "I've read every book on his sister Katherine Beecher, and this is the best treatment of the subject currently."

As someone who built on her initial idea for her dissertation and ultimately achieved success, Applegate gave tips for those who are choosing a topic for their own senior thesis. "Choose something that will sustain your interest," she said. "Choose something that has rich material so you can do a lot of research on it."

Although some students question why they should even do a senior thesis, Applegate highly recommends it.

"It is one of the experiences that is a rite of passage. There is a sense of satisfaction because you have done something large-scale," Applegate said. "The only people to regret the experience are those who dropped their thesis."