California State University, Fresno’s program in classic literature and history is achieving a high level of national academic recognition by the nation’s top universities.

This spring, four graduate students of military and ancient history, with classical language backgrounds, have been accepted at four of the nation’s top universities – with offers of generous financial support – to pursue doctoral degrees.

Curtis Easton, Nathan Orgill, Nick Rockwell and James Weaver will earn their master’s degrees this spring from Fresno State and complete their studies with five-year offers of full support, said Victor Davis Hanson, a Foreign Languages and Literatures Professor at Fresno State.

“It is rare for students from Fresno State to receive such lucrative offers of graduate study, but ever rarer that four candidates in the same year and in the same general field would all receive such offers,” said Hanson.

The four students all have augmented their formal historical studies with rigorous training in classical languages, and the seminal texts of Western culture “classics,” Hanson said. “That gives our students an edge over other applicants who may apply from purportedly stronger undergraduate institutions. We have found our training in Greek, Latin and classical culture to be a great equalizer.

“The top programs in history usually have taken into consideration our students’ unusual training, and know from experience that Fresno State Classics students will excel at the doctoral level in history,” Hanson said.

The students are:

Curtis Easton of Fresno, who plans to enroll at Yale University in the fall and work under the auspices of Donald Kagan, professor of Classics and Ancient History. His work revolves around the social, ethical and cultural aspects of war between the ancient Greek city-states. Easton also received acceptance and full financial support offers from Cornell, The University of Texas, and Ohio State in addition to four other institutions.

Nathan Orgill of Pocatello, Idaho, will study diplomatic and military history at Duke University. He plans to pursue research surrounding modern European military practices, as well as diplomatic controversies prevalent in Europe during and after the First World War. He also had been accepted and offered full support by Georgetown University.

Nick Rockwell of Oroville, who was accepted at a number of doctoral programs at University of California campuses, will enroll at the University of California at Los Angeles to complete his PhD in ancient history. He intends to complete his study of ancient Boeotia, a large rural territory in central Greece, and investigate the relationship between democracy and armies of citizen soldiers in the fourth century B.C.

James Weaver of Lancaster received several acceptances and has narrowed his decision to either the University of Toronto or Pennsylvania State University to complete a doctorate in Medieval and military history. He will pursue his ongoing research concerning the dynastic struggles of early Frankish kings and the status of warfare in Europe in general between 350 B.C. and A.D. 1000.

All four of the students are past recipients of Fresno State’s prestigious McClatchy Fellowships in Classics, presented to top students to Latin and Greek who plan to pursue their historical and literacy studies beyond Fresno at the doctoral level.