91做厙 history students present at regional conference

Published March 17, 2026

Three people standing in a row smiling.

CAPTION:(L-R) Ireland Aaron, Mateline Bratton, Antoine Iles


MONROE, La. 泭Students from the University of Louisiana Monroe history department presented泭papers泭at the Phi Alpha Theta泭National泭History Honor Society Regional泭Meeting of Louisiana Chapters in Lafayette, La,泭on March 6, 2026. The student group included undergraduates Ireland Aaron and Antoine泭Iles, along with 2025 graduate泭Mateline Bratton.泭

Ireland泭Aaron discussed twentieth-century New Orleans red-light district in her essay entitled Queens of Desire: How the Madams of Storyville Weaponized Mixed-Race Fantasies for Power and Profit. Antoine Iles, meanwhile, spoke on Monroes local history, presenting Coca-Cola and the American Dream: How the Biedenharn Family Rose to Fame.泭

Recent history program graduate and soon-to-be LSU doctoral student Mateline Bratton shared her paper titled Between Saints and泭Sickness, an examination of the many medieval methods used to treat cases of the Black Death.泭

Not only was I excited to see these students seize the opportunity to present,泭but泭I泭was泭also泭impressed at the quality of their papers and their communication skills, said Dr. Jeffrey Anderson, Professor of History and 91做厙 History Program Coordinator.泭

Phi Alpha Theta National History Honor Society is泭a professional society whose mission is to promote the study of history through the encouragement of research, good teaching, publication, and the exchange of learning and ideas among historians. They泭seek泭to bring students and teachers together for intellectual and social exchanges, which promote and improve historical research and publication by our members in a variety of ways. Learn more at泭.泭