U.S. History, 2010-2011

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Visitors to This Page:
 * 65


 * What's your status?
 * ABD: 18
 * VAP: 11
 * Postdoc: 9
 * TT but on the market: 12
 * Employed but reading out of curiosity: 11
 * Seach committee member: 1
 * Unemployed PhD: 3
 * Adjuncting PhD: 9
 * Lecturer: 2
 * Employed (non-academic) PhD and adjuncting: 3

Specialization breakdown:
 * 17th-18th Century: 7
 * 19th Century: 14
 * 20th Century: 40

Non-Academic Positions
Historian - U.S. House of Representatives
 * "The Historian provides historical research for House Members, and oversees the creation of presentations and publications by the office. The Historian supervises and oversees all responses to historical inquiries from the news media, oral history interviews, the Office’s interactive public website and other outreach activities touching Members, the public, students, teachers, and scholars. The Historian leads a staff of more than a dozen professionals including individuals holding M.A. and Ph.D. degrees."
 * Requires Ph.D. and five years experience.
 * Application due August 16, 2010.
 * I believe the previous Historian died suddenly of a heart attack. I've seen some of the Assistant Historians for the House and Senate make presentations at conferences, seems like interesting work.

Oakland Museum of California
 * "Currently seeking a highly qualified individual to serve as an Associate Curator of History. The incumbent performs various professional curatorial activities involving the research and development of collections, exhibits, publications, programs and other museum projects; on-going docent training, response to public queries, and donor cultivation."
 * For full details and how to apply, please visit http://museumca.org/employment-opportunities.


 * The Oakland Museum of California recently underwent a $62 million renovation.
 * Application sent (x2)
 * Is anyone else planning on sending in an application for this position? Yes (x1).

Open/Multiple Specializations
American University Angelo State University
 * Tenure-track assistant professor in public history (geographical specialization/time period not listed, so I posted it here).
 * "The successful candidate should be able to teach graduate courses in public history, oversee internships, and develop new courses in one or more of the following areas: new media, community-based history, or cultural heritage/sites of conscience."
 * Applications due October 1, 2010.
 * They are looking for someone who can do 19th century, but they'll also consider a good 20th century person if he or she complements the work that Kathy Franz is doing.
 * They are especially interested in someone who can do digital media.
 * Advanced assistant highly desirable.
 * Assistant Professor of History, tenure-track, 19th and 20th century United States military and diplomatic history, subfields may include, but are not limited to, American Civil War, global strategy,guerilla warefare, and non-U.S. military or diplomatic history.
 * Deadline: October 15, 2010

Dartmouth College
 * African-American history, open rank. The department "seeks a historian of the African diaspora in North America, prior to emancipation. The successful applicant will be expected to teach introductory as well as more specialized undergraduate courses in African-American and American history."
 * Deadline: November 1, 2010.
 * Everyone I've known there has been desperate to get out within a year or two. Location apparently sucks. They lost both of their African American historians in the last few years.
 * Hmmm...I've been to Dartmouth several times and Hanover is a beautiful town. It's in rural New Hampshire, which is difficult for someone who thrives in an urban environment, but it's a great community for those who can imagine life outside of a city. Plus, I wonder how many professors are really "desperate to get out" of a tenure-track gig at an Ivy League school!
 * maybe they've been hiring the wrong people, but of the six people i know who left Dartmouth in the last few years, 2 went to schools in Long Island, 1 to Boston, 1 to Manhattan, 1 to Chicago, and 1 to Eugene, OR. they liked the school, but couldn't stand the location. on the other hand, there are some folks in the history department who have been there a long time and must like it there a lot, so hopefully the department will hire someone who actually wants to be there as opposed to the hot young scholar who will pick up and leave at the first opportunity.
 * Interesting. This looks like one of the top jobs out there in US History. Perhaps the "standards" for tenure are very high and people leave... Hard to tell.

Georgia Southern University
 * Tenure-track position of Assistant Professor of African American History.
 * Deadline: October 8, 2010.

Harvard Business School
 * Tenure-track position in the in the Business, Government, and the International Economy (BGIE) unit with experience in "history of public policy, economic history, political history, international history, legal history, or environmental history."
 * "Candidates with background in economics and/or public policy are especially encouraged to apply....Successful candidates will, at the outset, teach a required first-year MBA course on the economic, political, and social environment of global business."
 * Applications due November 22, 2010.

King's College
 * Tenure-track assistant professor who will teach one-semester surveys on American history within the Core curriculum and on American history for the history department. No research or teaching interests other than American history specified. 8/28
 * Deadline November 22, 2010

National University
 * full-time appointment in U.S. History at our Academic Headquarters in La Jolla, California. Rank dependent on experience.


 * Review of applications began July 15, 2010
 * Having taught at a similar institution, I say with all seriousness: you may want to pass on this one (8/12)
 * to the poster above, can you expand on that comment? (8/24)
 * VERY limited resources; everything is about how much money you are bringing in; constant harassment about student enrollment numbers; felt like I was truly working for a corporation; was not a pleasasnt experience; so much happier that I'm not working for them anymore. I guess the bottom line is this: if you went into academia to be a bona fide professor, teaching at places like National will really diminish that experience. You'll feel like an employee at some glorified company that calls itself a university. I never felt like a real professor (8/30)

Oxford University
 * Rhodes Professorship of American History. Open to scholars of any period of the history of the United States and its antecedents. Its holder is the senior member of a group of five American historians in the Oxford Centre for Research in US History, housed in and supported by the Rothermere American Institute.


 * Deadline October 4, 2010

Rutgers University.
 * U.S. Women’s and Gender History, rank and field open, for a position to begin in July 2011.
 * Application (online) due Nov. 1, 2010.

Texas A&M University
 * One or two tenure-track assistant professorships to begin in September 2011 in the history of the United States in the nineteenth century and/or the history of the United States in the twentieth century. All fields of specialization are welcome for both positions... "We especially encourage candidates whose work crosses geographical, racial, ethnic, gender, and/or cultural borders and who present their research in a broad comparative framework."
 * Deadline: November 8, 2010.

University of California-Berkeley
 * Tenure-track assistant professor in U.S. History. "Scholars in the fields of women, gender, and sexuality and/or the history of slavery are especially encouraged to apply."
 * Applications due October 1, 2010.
 * Any inside info on whether a history of slavery specialty will be considered without a women/gender/sexuality specialty? The job description makes it seem like they really want both, but that "and/or" bit muddles things a bit.
 * It sounds like they are not exactly sure which field they want, I think the slavery specialty is in addition to the rest and not instead of the other areas but this could also be a way to hedge one's bets.
 * Well ok - two things: the first is that Berkeley hasn't had anyone doing women, gender, and sexuality primarily for a number of years now. The second is that they are probably trying to replace Jennifer Spear, who left a few years ago - she did slavery with an emphasis on gender and sexuality issues.
 * Not promising that they use the grammatically redundant "and/or" when "or" means the same thing.
 * Not really. They obviously want someone in the history of slavery who works on gender and sexuality. But they need specialists in both fields, so they are advertising in both fields, hoping they'll get someone with both specializations but, at the very least, they'll get a specialist in one of the fields. This is very common in departments that need to fill 2 slots but are only given 1 slot by the Dean. It's always best to have at least 2 very strong specializations when you are on the market because you'll appeal to multiple constituencies in a department. Examples: urban history AND gender history; labor history AND African American history; military history AND cultural history, etc.
 * They are filling two positions, actually.
 * According to the link above, the position is listed as a single hire. If they were looking to fill two positions, they would post two notices, I should think.
 * I just want to clarify as someone with a reasonably connected grapevine, I have heard that the SC will be considering making two hires out of the applicant pool. (8/30)
 * on "reasonably connected grapevine" unless you know this directly from the department or sc, doesn't mean much.
 * Isn't that the point of this entire wiki? To share rumor and gossip with eager young applicants who don't stand a chance at a position like this? (8/31)
 * There are two separate job posts: one for women, gender, or slavery at assistant level AND the other for european history for assistant or associate level.
 * Ok, kiddos. I'm going to try this one more time. The rumor is that Berkeley will try to hire TWO US historians from the applicant pool brought together for this job ad. It has nothing to do with the European history search, as mentioned above. (9/3)
 * I buy that.

University of California, San Diego
 * Assistant Professor, African-American History; "Preference will be given to scholars at the Assistant Professor level but excellent candidates at other levels will also be seriously considered. Chronological period and specialization are open. We welcome applications that fall under the broad conceptual rubric of the African Diaspora, as well as those with a particular focus on North America."
 * Review of applicants will begin November 1 and will continue until position is filled.

University of Hawai‘i - West O‘ahu


 * tenure-track assistant or associate professor in U.S. history. Position also entails teaching courses in world civilizations, and "an interest, and ability to teach a secondary field in Hawai‘i or Pacific history."


 * review of applications begins after October 1

University of Northumbria (UK)
 * Lecturer/Senior Lecturer (tenured position) in 'American History, pre-1945)
 * It is likely that the search committee want this position to start in the academic year 2010-11
 * "You will be an early career or established research active academic with a relevant PhD and/or equivalent postgraduate or professional qualification/experience"
 * Deadline: 19 August 2010
 * Selection date: 19 October 2010

University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
 * Tenure-track assistant professor in U.S. Environmental History. "The successful candidate will teach a 4-4 load comprised of two or three preps consisting of a combination of U.S. History survey sections, a global/comparative environmental history course, and one upper level U.S. environmental history."
 * Applications due November 29, 2010.

West Virginia State
 * full-time, tenure track, assistant professor beginning January 15, 2011.


 * Applicants must possess a terminal degree in history and must have a strong background in United States history, as well as a general knowledge of Western Civilization. Research and teaching experience in public history, local and regional history would also be helpful.
 * Applications due October 15, 2010. Review of apps begins October 15, but they won't consider any postmarked later than September 30.

William Jewell College
 * Tenure-track assistant or associate professor in U.S. History. "Primary field in United States history, colonial or 19th century preferred, secondary field(s) in Latin America, East Asia, and/or Sub-Saharan Africa highly desirable."
 * Applications due October 1, 2010.

17th-18th Century
California State University-Northridge
 * Tenure-track assistant professor in the "history of the United States, Colonial to 1824, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic desirable." Also looking for "ability to teach courses covering the broader Atlantic world."
 * Applications due November 15, 2010 but will be accepted until the position is filled.

Colby College


 * Assistant professor in Colonial and Early American History (pre-1600 to 1820), ability to teach the American Revolution or Native American history a plus.


 * Applications due November 15, 2010.


 * I see that Colby is once again searching for an early Americanist--something like the sixth time in as many years, at least. What's the deal there? Can they just not keep anybody, is the department tough to work with, is the salary too low, or what?
 * This position was advertised last year but changed to a VAP, no?
 * Yes, but now it's tenure-track. I just wonder why they can't seem to keep anybody in that particular position. Have they just had bad luck hiring folks who leave later for their own reasons? I'm interested, but want to know the lay of the land.
 * Last year's wiki suggests the department cancelled the search after the committee was too divided to settle on one candidate - does anyone know if this is department doublespeak or not?
 * Colby's last Early Americanist left for McGill about 2 years ago; last year's committee brought candidates to campus but no offer was extended. Unlcear if committee was divided, candidates were underwhelming, or a strange combination.

College of Wooster '''
 * Early America/United States History Before 1877.
 * The successful candidate will be expected to teach the U.S. history survey and upper-level courses in his/her area of specialization, including a course or courses that could be cross-listed in the College’s program in Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies.
 * Applications received by November 15, 2010 will receive full consideration.
 * This college has a good reputation in Ohio and it is a good job. Location is not great but certainly worth applying.

Mary Baldwin College'''
 * tenure-track assistant professorship in early American history (1600-1820)
 * Secondary field in Virginia history, American religious history, American West, or Appalachian history desired.
 * Review of applications will begin November 10.
 * You might want to check into the financial condition of this institution. It was mentioned in a Chronicle column concerning institutions with some financial issues.

Princeton University
 * Tenure-track assistant professor on the American Revolution and 18th Century North American history.
 * Applications due October 15, 2010.

University of Cincinnati
 * Review of materials will begin December 1, 2010.
 * tenure-track, assistant professor position in the history of colonial British North America. Specialists in Native American history or the Atlantic World are encouraged to apply.
 * The candidate should expect to participate in teaching the United States surveys as well as undergraduate and graduate courses in his/her specialty.

Yale University
 * Tenure-track assistant professor in Early American History.
 * Deadline September 1, 2010
 * My understanding is that they searched for a senior hire last year, but that search failed. So this REALLY is a search for an assistant level hire. Albeit, a really good one.
 * Got letter saying my materials were received

19th Century
Boston College
 * Tenure-track, open rank position in 19th Century U.S. History. "Scholars with specializations in political, socio-economic and cultural history are encouraged to apply; and nominations are also encouraged."
 * Review of applications begins October 1st, 2010.
 * I have a feeling there may be an inside candidate here. Can anyone closer to the situation comment?
 * There is no point in applying for this position. Christian Samito is getting the job. I can’t see anyone beating him.


 * Were I the inside candidate, I'd sure appreciate people putting the competition off!
 * Christian Samito earned his PhD from Boston College--would this not exclude him as a candidate for a tenure-track position???
 * No, it doesn't exclude him for the position. I'm starting to think that he is the inside candidate. His book was just published. But, in that case, why is the job ad so open?
 * There is every point in applying for this position--it is an excellent position at a very good institution in a strong department. Worrying about a potential internal candidate is really a waste of time. The job ad is open and at all ranks. This is telling.
 * Samito rocks. His publications are better than most tenured professors. I would give him tenure immidiately.
 * Maybe he does, but that means very little. Tenure immediately? Wow, he must be stellar. People should still apply.
 * I would ABSOLUTELY still apply. BC takes their searches really seriously, and I am certain that all candidates would be fully evaluated.
 * psyched out?
 * Word on the "street" is that this is a replacement for David Quigley, going into BC admin, and that the candidate of choice will focus on Civil War and Recon. Also, it's likely they will want an established historian.

New York University
 * Tenure-track, assistant professor in 19th century U.S. history, including transnational approaches. "The department especially encourages applications from candidates working on slavery, legal history, political economy, or gender."
 * Deadline for applications (online) is November 15, 2010.

Salisbury University

'''This one was cancelled last year due to budget issues. Looks like a really nice area to live and work.'''
 * Assistant Professor of History, 19th and early 20th Century America, Cultural/Intellectual.
 * Applications received by November 15, 2010 will be given first consideration.
 * It is a very isolated part of Maryland but unique too.

University of Oklahoma - The Institute for the American Constitutional Heritage in the Department of Classics and Letters
 * Assistant or Associate Professor. "The applicant should have a speciality in American intellectual history, political culture, or political theory of the 19th or early 20th century with consequences for our understanding of American constitutionalism."
 * Deadline: November 1, 2010.

West Virginia University
 * Associate or Full Professor in American Civil War Studies.
 * Deadline: Oct. 15, 201.

20th Century
California Polytechnic State, San Luis Obispo, CA
 * Tenure track assistant professor in 20th-century history. "Specialization in political, U.S. and the world, or public history. Ability to teach both halves of the U.S. survey desired."
 * Review of applications begins November 15, 2010

Colby College (VAP/Faculty Fellow)
 * One-year replacement position in Modern (Twentieth-Century) U.S. History. "The successful candidate would be expected to teach four courses, including a survey of U. S. history since 1865, one course in African American history, and two courses in twentieth-century U.S. history."
 * Applications due December 1, 2010.

Cornell University
 * Tenure-track assistant professor in 20th Century U.S. History focusing on political, economic, or constitutional/legal history.
 * Applications accepted between September 1 and October 8, 2010.
 * Is this basically for someone slipping into Polenberg's position as he winds down? (Looks like he's teaching a course per year.)
 * yes. he is on phased retirement.
 * Thanks for the word.

Cornell University (ILR)
 * Tenure-track Assistant Professor position in 19th or 20th Century US History in the Department of Labor Relations, Law, and History, within the ILR School. "We are interested in social, political, or policy historians whose scholarship engages questions of work, inequality, the economy, or political culture. We are particularly interested in scholars whose work places the U. S. in an interdisciplinary, comparative, and/or transnational perspective."
 * Applications due October 1, 2010.
 * Anyone know the details on the ILR School?
 * It is the College of Industrial & Labor Relations. Several US historians have appointments in it. This is a part of the State Univ of NY, founded after WWII to train leaders of the labor movement. Now it is a small, general undergraduate social science college, primarity for residents of NY state. Many of the students treat it as a pre-law curriculum. It is the smallest undergraduate college at Cornell.

Gustavus Adolphus College
 * Tenure-track assistant professor in 20th Century U.S. History.


 * "We seek candidates [...] in one of the following areas: U.S. in a global context, the environment, and/or popular culture. The successful candidate should have an interest in developing and implementing curricula that address multicultural issues."


 * Application due November 5, 2010.

Moravian College
 * post-1877 American historian
 * Deadline: November 10, 2010

Northwestern University
 * Open rank. "Senior candidates should demonstrate distinction and national reputations in their fields; junior candidates should demonstrate high promise of excellence in scholarship and teaching."
 * October 1, 2010.

Notre Dame
 * Tenure-track assistant professor in 20th Century Cultural and/or Social History
 * Applications due October 1, 2010.

Rider University
 * Assistant Professor, 20th Century U.S. History, "who focuses on women's history/gender history, immigration history and/or ethnic studies".
 * Application (online) due November 1, 2010.

Texas Christian University
 * Assistant or Associate Professr in 20th Century U.S. history with a research specialty in Urban history, African American history, or Mexican American history.
 * Application due November 25, 2010.
 * This institution has lots of money for research and a very good reputation in Texas. Also, a good location, TX wise.

University of Connecticut
 * Tenure-track assistant professorship in post-1945 United States history. "Preferred Qualifications: research specialization in law and society or political history, with interests in political economy, globalization, or human rights"
 * Application due: October 29, 2010.

University of Tampa
 * Tenure-track assistant professor in US History since 1877
 * Desirable fields: US South, Florida and the Caribbean, labor, immigration, environment, or sexuality.
 * Application due: November 15, 2010

University of Toledo
 * Tenure-track assistant professor in U.S. Social and Cultural History, post 1920 preferred. Preference for speciality in labor and urban history.
 * Position begins January 2011.
 * Applications due August 15, 2010.

Wellesley College
 * Full-time, tenure-track assistant professorship in twentieth-century U.S. history, research specialization is open.
 * Applications due October 15, 2010.
 * Does anyone know if this job is real/what's up with the dept? They've been running a search for a 19th centuryist since I've been on the market (5 years now) and cancel it after oncampus every year; I'm wondering if the 20th-cen job is going to be subject to the same endless circle.
 * If it makes you feel any better, last year's 19th-century search most definitely resulted in a hire.
 * Does anyone know if they would like separate statements of teaching philosophy and research interests, or if these should be included in the cover letter?
 * It seems like they have hired several people over the past several years. Lots of younger faculty.
 * This is an excellent position and is highly desirable.

U.S. and the World/International
California State University-Fullerton
 * "The History Department at California State University, Fullerton invites applications for a tenure-track assistant professor of the history of the U.S. and the World, any time period. In addition to teaching courses in the history of the U.S. in a transnational world as well as the history of U.S. foreign relations, the successful candidate will be able to teach the world history survey courses and U.S. survey courses, advanced undergraduate courses in the area of specialization, and courses in historical writing, theory, and methods. The successful candidate will be competent in a language appropriate to the research specialization."
 * Application due November 8, 2010
 * This has to be the single worst job out there. The Department is a mess. I would rather work at a Burger King.
 * Strong statement there. Would you explain? (9/3). I was wondering too. Can you elaborate on your statement? Have you taught there?
 * I second the above question. Very strong statement indeed...may we have some evidence??? (9/5)


 * Fullerton is an assembly line. What percentage of the faculty are adjuncts and what percentage are full time? And who are the full timers? Those who got in twenty years ago and are burnt out on teaching, but still make 80,000 a year, while the adjuncts are much more capable but make 3,000 dollars per course. It is this feudal anachronism that is missing at Burger King, and why it is more pleasant to work there. Everything that is wrong with the field of History, is exaggertated a thousdand fold at Fullerton.

Louisiana Tech


 * Tenure-track position for FALL 2010 " to teach survey courses in world and United States history, and advanced and graduate courses in U.S. diplomatic history, modern western European history, and other area(s) of specialization as determined by qualifications."


 * "Secondary area(s) must be compatible with needs of department."


 * Applications being considered immediately.
 * One should note this position was listed as "US history, post 1815"
 * 7/26: Received notice that the search has been canceled for budgetary reasons. Possiblity of reopening for 2011.

Northwestern University
 * Assistant professorin the field of the United States in International History.
 * Candidates should expect to offer a teaching sequence in U.S. foreign relations, broadly conceived, as well as more specialized courses.
 * Application due November 1, 2010.
 * FWIW a few years ago one of the top profs here was on an AHA panel on job searching and said that anyone whose recs did not bear the current year's date was immediately dismissed from consideration. Since my &^(% advisor can't be bothered to update my recs, and I'd spent a load of time on applying to a job there, it ticked me off, but now it might be useful to somebody!
 * I agree with the above. I know that several search committees only count current letters (the calendar year), so out of date letters are not useful at all.
 * It is very sad to hear these stories of utter professional negligence on the part of academics - I am on the employed side of the fence, just tenured and assigned to an administrative post in my department and the more I learn about the malfeasance, laziness, and outright acts of career sabotage inflicted on grad students seeking jobs the more depressed I become...
 * Glad to see someone on "that" side of fence (for once) actually writes from the cuff. Thank you. But...you may want to take note that it's not only "grad students" seeking jobs...(9/5)

Purdue University
 * Tenure-track assistant professor in 20th-century US foreign relations, diplomacy, or US in the World


 * Deadline: November 15, 2010

Syracuse University
 * Tenure-track assistant professorship in the history of the U.S. in the world, American international relations, or U.S. diplomacy.
 * Deadline (online): October 15, 2010.
 * Did someone retire? Seems like a few positions at Syracuse over the past few years?

University of Texas at Austin
 * Tenure-track postion in global policy studies at the the Robert S. Strauss Center for International Security and Law. "Disciplinary affiliation is open to candidates from any appropriate discipline, including but not limited to: law, economics, history, political science, sociology, geography, and public policy."
 * Applications due December 1, 2010.

Discussion
For those who have been on the market previously, would you be willing to compare the number of jobs to years past? (8/26)

It's early to tell, but things feel quite slow and weak this year, as they have for the last 2 or 3 years.

I study 20th c. I would argue that the market is far better than it was at this point the past two years. It is only late August--we haven't yet entered the high-volume season for postings (September/October). (8/30)


 * Agreed, I think the 20th century numbers are up

Thanks to the above posters. Based on last year's wiki, and the information provided by my department, it is easy to put together a fairly detailed timeline for the job market - but these timelines usually list "July-October" as when most jobs are posted. I was curious if there was going to be a bit more of a wave in the coming weeks. (8/29)

I seriously doubt there will be a wave soon, though there will probably be more ads than last year. Having said that, it is vital that the searches are not cancelled. Last year lots of searches were cancelled mid-year. I wonder how many of those cancelled searches from last year will be running this year (as a repeat). A wave seems unlikely. The high season is soon to be here so I hope it is coming. (8/29)

A question about how to find out a search committee chair: all the cover letter advice I've read so far suggest that it is best to address cover letter to a sc chair (I'm new to the job market this year). And all the advice article indicate that If job posts do not have the names of the chair, we can call and ask for the name. Based on what I read, it seems a reasonable request. But when I asked a * university for the sc chair name, they said they don't advertise the names as if that violates some kind of privacy issues. What's you opinion? Do you always address your cover letters to specific people? Does it matter? Any advice on writing a cover letter from those who were successful at landing jobs? Wondering if any of you would weigh in on something I heard from a colleague. Is it true that if you have not been asked to apply for a job then your chances are next to none? Alright savvy job market veterans. We're nearing mid-September and job postings appear to have slowed down since Labor Day. Any thoughts on the state of the market this year, as compared to last season?
 * You may already know, but if not, the Chronicle displayed a plethora of jobs yesterday (8/31)
 * Why did H-Net mess with the format of their Jobs Page in the middle of a job hunt? It's annoying! (9/1)
 * The new format is terrible! The old format was so much better. I mean, really, who could look at that and think it was an improvement? (9/1)
 * Agreed. It's useless.
 * I like the new display much better. I don't have to scroll through lots of different fields, seeing many duplicate listings, when I do a search. Much easier to view now. (9/2)
 * Nope - the new format sucks! (9/2)
 * If the job ad lists a contact name, use that. If not, just say "To Whom It May Concern." I can't imagine anyone discounting your application because it is not addressed to a chairperson who is not listed in the ad.
 * I've seem people use "To Whom It May Concern" -- I've also seen "Dear Sir or Madam." Personally, I choose to resolve this problem by omitting the salutation altogether when a name was not given in the ad and instead using a header that incorporates the name of the position. Thus "Letter of Application for Assistant Professorship in [insert area here]." For what it's worth, I got dossier requests/interviews/offers resulting from job letters addressed this way. Essentially the person above is right: there are several reasonable solutions to the issue, and what matters more is the content of the letter, rather than the way it is addressed.
 * I say "Dear Search Committee." Honestly though, unless you're addressing people by their first name only, people do not care about this stuff.
 * I usually put, "To the Members of the Search Committee." (x2)
 * That is absolutely not true. In my experience, schools very rarely ask specific people to apply. Those that do are generally the top schools and are looking for someone with tenure or at least an advanced assistant. I can only think of two people that I know (nationwide) who were asked to apply somewhere. (9/8)
 * Agreed, not true. Might be an older notion of the "good ole boy" network. I've had friends invited to apply for positions who were then turned down. Imagine if you're on a search committee and have someone in mind, but then get 100 outstanding applications. You could easily be convinced that a better candidate is in your stack of applications. I would pay more attention to the language of the job ad. If you study gender and sexuality and the job ad is looking for someone who does immigration history - then you might not want to waste your time. (9/8)