I might add to Richard Greaves posting that I recently unearthed a letter
(written to me in 1973 on my acceptance into a doctoral program) by the
professor who became my dissertation director. He wrote candidly to tell me
of the "serious dangers which lie ahead [and] ... how bad the job market
is..." Having informed me of the difficulty he had just had in placing
students - one of "truly exceptional brilliance" and another author of one
of the best theses he had supervised in 25 years of teaching - he ended by
saying "I believe we give the very best training ... and make enormous
efforts to place our students. ... If, despite this gloomy situation, you
are dedicated to studying history, I am naturally delighted to teach you..."
We owe to graduate students this kind of candor, I think, but also owe them
encouragement and acceptance if they decide to pursue this career.
James Rosenheim
Texas A&M University