As Dr. Aaron Astor bids farewell, what doesthat mean for the MC History Department?

Rumors have been confirmed that Professor of History Dr. Aaron Astor and Lecturer in Education Dr. Samantha Astor will leave MC at the end of the 2025-26 academic year.

At the end of the semester, Aaron Astor will be taking a position at Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, his family, including his wife Samantha will be joining him in the move. Though Samantha Astor has not accepted a position, he says her intentions are to continue teaching at a collegiate level. 

Astor received his Ph.D in history from Northwestern University in 2006 and taught for one year – covering someone’s sabbatical – at Albion College in Michigan. He joined the Maryville College faculty the following year. At the time of his onboarding all three other members of the current history faculty had already begun their careers at Maryville College. Astor described the department as one with “remarkable continuity.” 

Leaving abruptly from a teaching position one has held for almost two decades is bound to leave students with questions. Astor assured students that he is not leaving due to a negative experience with the college, but instead a “dream opportunity.” 

Astor’s focus of study is on the US Civil War and reconstruction, although his undergraduate degree is in philosophy both his masters thesis and his dissertation focus on the reconstruction era south. 

The position he has accepted at Gettysburg college is entitled the Robert C. Fluhrer distinguished professor of Civil War studies, an important role as the school offers a Civil War studies minor. Astor will teach a variety of classes including: 100 level world history, 200 and 300 level Civil War era history and a senior seminar. The position also grants support for research and travel. Astor expressed he enjoys teaching at a small liberal arts college and is excited for the opportunity to continue within his new position. 

Astor will be working directly with the Civil War Institute whose mission is to “use its resources to educate Gettysburg College students about a range of professional careers related to the study of history.” While the opportunity seems to be the biggest draw for Aaron Astor, both he and Samantha have family in the area. 

During his time at Maryville College, Astor has taught many courses, but stated his two favorites to teach are history of the U.S. South and ethics. History of the U.S. South is a 300-level course taught chronologically from the beginnings of European colonization in South Carolina and leading into the modern day. The class is structured around discussion; students read books and then discuss the readings in class, and each student must also lead a discussion. Astor believes this format encourages students to “engage critically” with the course materials. 

He also said that he enjoys how, within his ethics course, he gets to see senior students of all majors, reflect on what’s meaningful and think about their futures.

According to Astor, this encourages students to consciously think about ethics in the world and then apply it to their future vocations.  This course calls on his background in philosophy as well. 

Including Astor, the history department only has four professors, and Astor teaches many courses required for the major. However, he is not worried about this in his departure, as in his absence, the college will be hiring for an interim, two-year position to fill his spot. He believes that after this interim position, the College will likely look to hire a longer-term staff member, a younger scholar who can provide longevity.

 As far as filling course requirements, he believes there is nothing to worry about, as the department faced something similar when Dan Klingensmith left his role as professor and became the Academic Dean. The college quickly filled the position, and the transition was relatively smooth. 

Though he is leaving, Astor has no intention to cut contact with the College, as his departure is not from a place of negativity. He remains in contact with many alumni and intends to continue doing so even as he transitions to Gettysburg.

Dr. Aaron Astor, history professor, speaks at the Witherspoon lectures in early 2026. (Photo courtesy of Maryville College.)