Stephen Porter

Steve Porter explores the intersection of humanitarianism and U.S. power over the long twentieth century as experienced both internationally and domestically. He is particularly interested in the ways that state and civil society actors have collaborated, harmoniously and otherwise, in innovative governing and legal initiatives seeking to justify themselves significantly through an embrace of ethical rationales. He has considered these issues in his book Benevolent Empire: U.S. Power, Humanitarianism, and the World’s Dispossessed (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2017), published essays and professional presentations. Benevolent Empire is the winner of the 2018 Hall award, given for the best book on the history of civil society, philanthropy and/or the non-profit sector, any country or region. Central to his research interests are changing conceptions of ethical responsibilities and rights along with the management refugee crises and other humanitarian dilemmas wrought by war, persecution, upheaval, and other disruptive phenomena so emblematic of the modern world order. These efforts include both international aid and legal initiatives on behalf of vulnerable populations abroad and immigration programs to systematically resettle select groups of political refugees admitted to the U.S.
 
The working title of his current book project is, “Liberalism and Humanitarianism at War: American Approaches to National and Human Security Crises in World War II.”
 
At the University of Cincinnati, he has served as director of the International Human Rights Certificate, chair of the Tolley Scholarship in International Human Rights, chair of the Taft Center’s Human Rights Research Group, and, beginning in fall of 2024, Director of Graduate Studies for the Department of History. A former fellow of the Institute for Historical Studies at the University of Texas at Austin and chair of ARNOVA's Hall Book Award Committee, he has a PhD in History from the University of Chicago.
 
Professor Porter’s research interests inform his teaching, and vice versa. The courses he has taught include:

Undergraduate

• U.S. History surveys (all sequences)
• Human Rights and Security
• War, Peace, and Society
• U.S. Foreign Relations II
• Human Rights and Foreign Relations I & II
• Refugees and Immigration (various names/iterations and levels)
• U.S. and Middle East/N. Africa: Immigration and Human Rights (co-taught)
• War and (American) Society
• War on the American Home Front
• Immigration Across the Disciplines (honors course with travel)
• Human Rights in History (co-taught)
• Introduction to Historical Thinking (for majors)
• Research Topics (for majors)
• History Research Capstone (for majors)

• Historical Methodologies
• Teaching Practicum
• U.S. in the Long 20th Century
• U.S. and the World
• Ethics and U.S. Power in the World
• Human Rights and Humanitarianism
• Research Seminar

PhD: University of Chicago Chicago, Illinois, 2009 (History)

2008 -To Present Associate Professor, History, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio

Book Chapter

“Humanitarian Diplomacy after World War II: The United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration,” in Foreign Policy Breakthroughs: Cases in Successful Diplomacy (New York: Oxford University Press, 2015)

“Humanitarian Politics of States and Transnational Civil Societies,” in The Cambridge History of World War, Volume Three, Total War: Economy, Society and Culture, Michael Geyer and Adam Tooze, eds., (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2015)

“Refugees, Statelessness, and the Disordering of Citizenship,” in The Cambridge History of America and the World: Volume Four: 1945-Present, Engerman, Friedman, and McAlister, eds. (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2022)

Book

Benevolent Empire: U.S. Power, Humanitarianism, and the World's Dispossessed (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, Oct. 2016)

Review

Human Rights Activism and the End of the Cold War: A Transnational History of the Helsinki Network, Human Rights Quarterly  Vol. 35, No. 1 (February 2013): 246-249

Empire of Humanity: A History of Humanitarianism by Michael Barnett, Human Rights Quarterly, Vol. 34, No. 3 (August 2012): 914-916

Saving the World? Western Volunteers and the Rise of the Humanitarian-Development Complex, by Agnieszka Sobocinska, American Historical Review (Dec. 2023)

A Sense of Power: The Roots of America’s Global Role, by John A. Thompson, Journal of Military History (Oct. 2016)

Encyclopedia Article

“Algerians,” “Brazilians,” “Jordanians,” “Moroccans,” “Panamanians,” “Paraguayans,” all in Encyclopedia of Chicago, ed. James R. Grossman, Ann Durkin Keating, and Janice L. Reiff (University of Chicago Press, 2004).  Histories of Chicago-area immigrant and refugee communities in multiple award-winning book.

Peer Reviewed Publications

“Refugee Resettlement in the United States: A Reassessment,” introductory essay for H-Diplo roundtable on refugee resettlement (forthcoming, winter 2024)

Work in Progress

“Liberalism and Humanitarianism at War: American Approaches to National and Human Security Crises in World War II,” current book project. 

Invited Presentations

Stephen R. Porter (09-2022. ) Refugees and the Ukraine Crisis ."Ukraine: An International Retrospective of 8.5 Years of War" (panel discussion), University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio. Level:Local

Stephen R. Porter (03-2022. ) “The Ukraine Crisis as a Threat to the Liberal International Order” ."Teach-In Panel on the Ukraine Crisis," University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio. Level:Local

Stephen R. Porter (08-2021. ) “Refugee Crises since 9/11: U.S. Causal and Palliative Roles” .University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio. Level:Local

Stephen R. Porter (12-2020. ) “History of Civil Society at a Crossroads” .ARNOVA Annual Conference, Virtual. Level:International

Stephen R. Porter (11-2019. ) “Was the United States ever Pro-Refugee? A Historical Exploration" .University of Montana, Missoula, Montana. Level:Regional

Stephen R. Porter (06-2019. ) “Refugees and the Question of American Benevolence .

Stephen R. Porter (06-2019. ) “Refugees and the Question of American Benevolence" .Smithsonian National Museum of American History, Washington, DC. Level:Honorary

Stephen R. Porter (10-2018. ) “Democratizing American Humanitarian Solidarities Abroad during the Great War, or Not" .Cultures of War Symposium, Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati, Ohio. Level:National

Stephen R. Porter (04-2018. ) “U.S. Foreign Policy and Humanitarianism Since the Cold War’s End" .Amherst College, Amherst, Massachusetts. Level:University

Stephen R. Porter (04-2018. ) “Unintended Consequences of Refugee Aid: Cold War Politics, ‘Freedom Fighters’ and Jim Crow" .American Hungarian Educators Association Conference , Cleveland, Ohio. Level:National

Stephen R. Porter (04-2017. ) “The Resettlement-Admissions Nexus: An Eight-Decade History" .The Global Refugee Crisis UCLA International Conference , Los Angeles, California. Level:International

Stephen R. Porter (10-2017. ) "Refugees and the Hard Consequences of U.S. Soft Power" .Contemporary History Institute, Athens, Ohio. Level:University

Stephen R. Porter (11-2016. ) "Refugee Affairs and the Limits of Legal and Policy Analysis" .College of Law (book launch), University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio. Level:University

Stephen R. Porter (05-2016. ) “A New Benevolent Empire?” .Center for Slavic and East European Studies Workshop on Human Rights, Peace Building, and International Security, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio. Level:Regional

Stephen R. Porter (04-2013. ) “A New Benevolent Empire: Immigration and War Relief at the American Century’s Dawn .Lockridge Annual History Lecture, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana. Level:University

Stephen R. Porter (10-2012. ) “Humanitarian Governance in the American Century: The Limits of ‘Soft Power'" .Institute for Historical Studies, University of Texas, Austin, Texas. Level:University

Stephen R. Porter (12-2011. ) “When Human Rights Distracts us from History: Revisiting the Cold War’s Deep Freeze" .Human Rights Lecture Series, Taft Research Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio. Level:Local

Stephen R. Porter (03-2014. ) Keynote Address for U.S. Naturalization Ceremony .United States District Court, Dayton Ohio. Level:Local

Stephen R. Porter (05-2011. ) “Anticolonialism, Western Paternalism, and the Challenges for Human Rights in the Arab Spring” .Amnesty International Annual Meeting (College of Law, University of Cincinnati)), Cincinnati, Ohio. Level:Regional

Stephen R. Porter (04-2011. ) “Revolution and Human Rights in the Middle East: Intervention or Not?” .National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, Cincinnati, Ohio. Level:National

Stephen R. Porter (01-2011. ) “Neo-Imperial Ambitions and Philanthropic Visions: U.S. Power and International Humanitarianism” .American Historical Association annual meeting (read in absentia), Boston, Massachusetts. Level:National

Stephen R. Porter (09-2010. ) “Refugees, NGOs and the Strange Career of Humanitarian Diplomacy” .Forty Years’ Crisis: Refugees in Europe, 1919-1959 Conference, University of London, London, England. Level:International

Stephen R. Porter (04-2010. ) “Violence and Terror: Interdisciplinary Approaches” .Keynote Address at the Humanities Forum Conference, St. Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri. Level:University

Stephen R. Porter (12-2008. ) “Human Rights and the U.S. Displaced Persons Program” .Human Rights in History Symposium, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Level:National

Stephen R. Porter (03-2011. ) “Human Rights and Humanitarianism in the Libya Crisis: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives" .UC Forum on Revolution and Human Rights in Libya, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio. Level:Local

Paper Presentations

Stephen R. Porter (01-2020. ) “Refugee Integration since the 1980 U.S. Refugee Act" .New York, New York. Conference. Level:National

Stephen Porter (10-2016. ) “The Strange Career of Resettlement: Refugee Law before ‘Refugee Law" .Toronto, Canada. Conference. Level:International

Stephen Porter (06-2016. ) “Protecting People, States, and Philanthropies: World War II Humanitarianism and the Creation of a New International Order" .Nashville, Tennessee. Conference. Level:National

Stephen R. Porter (06-2010. ) “Human Rights During the Cold War: Did the U.S. Really Abandon Them?” .Columbus, Ohio. Conference. Level:National

Symposium

Stephen Porter (10-2015. ) "Benevolent Empire? U.S. Power, Humanitarianism, and the World’s Dispossessed" .College of Law, University of Cincinnati. UC. Level:University

Stephen Porter (05-2013. ) “Humanitarian Diplomacy after World War II: The United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration" .Austin, Texas. Conference. Level:International

Stephen Porter (09-2013. ) Cincinnati, Ohio. Level:Local

Stephen Porter (02-2017. ) "Refugee Law, Policy, and Politics: Syrian Crisis in Historical Perspective" .Cincinnati, Ohio. Level:Local

Stephen R. Porter (08-2021. ) "Refugee Crises since 9/11: U.S. Causal and Palliative Roles" .Cincinnati, Ohio. UC. Level:Local

Event Organized

Syria: A Panel Discussion and Town Hall Symposium 09-2013 University of Cincinnati Level:Local

Refugees: From Syria to Cincinnati (Panel Discussion) Symposium 02-2017 University of Cincinnati Level:Local

11-2018 -11-2018 Winner of Hall Book Award (international) Porter's book, Benevolent Empire, was awarded the 2018 Hall award, given for the best book on the history of civil society, philanthropy and/or the non-profit sector, any country or region. Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action Status:Recipient Level:International Type:Recognition

05-2019 -05-2019 Lewis Teaching Award University of Cincinnati Department of History Status:Recipient Level:Department Type:Recognition

01-2017 -01-2017 Rising Star Award University of Cincinnati College of Arts and Sciences Status:Recipient Level:College Type:Recognition

08-2012 -05-2013 Research Fellow in Residence, Institute for Historical Studies, University of Texas at Austin Institute for Historical Studies, University of Texas at Austin Status:Recipient Level:International Type:Fellowship

Department of History (Graduate Affairs ) Committee Member Type:Departmental Service BAD DATE -BAD DATE

Taft Research Center (Executive Board ) Committee Member Type:University/College Service BAD DATE -BAD DATE

Certificate: International Human Rights (Steering ) Committee Member Type:University/College Service BAD DATE -BAD DATE

Tolley Scholarship in International Human Rights (Scholarship Committee ) Committee Member Type:University/College Service BAD DATE -BAD DATE

Taft Research Center (Human Rights Research Group ) Committee Chair Type:University/College Service BAD DATE -BAD DATE

Department of History (Graduate Research Awards ) Committee Member Type:Departmental Service BAD DATE -BAD DATE

College Credit Plus Mentor Type:Community Service BAD DATE -BAD DATE

15-HIST-723 LIT OF AMER HISTORY SEE ABOVE FOR LIST OF COURSES TAUGHT Level:Both

SEE ABOVE FOR LIST OF COURSES TAUGHT Level:Undergraduate

SEE ABOVE FOR LIST OF COURSES TAUGHT Level:Graduate