Spend any time talking to Robert McCormick, and his love of history and passion for teaching it to others is readily apparent. This year he was recognized for that lifelong passion by being named the 2025 Carolina Trustees Professorship for System Campuses.
McCormick, an associate professor of history at USC Upstate, comes from a long line of teachers. His mother and an aunt were teachers, and at one point his grandfather was the superintendent of education in Saluda County, South Carolina. His father was a history major at the University of South Carolina. He has ancestors who were professors at USC and Washington & Lee. So it makes sense that McCormick would fall into this line of work.
Still, when he was younger, he didn’t see himself teaching. “But once I was in grad school,” he says, “you just sort of fall into it.” At first, he panicked at the thought of being a professor in front of a class. “But then, gradually, it becomes a tremendous joy,” he says. “I can’t tell you how much I enjoy it. It’s the highlight of my day.”
I can't remember not loving history. It's been an obsession of mine from my earliest memories."
As for history, well, “I can’t remember not loving history,” he says. “It’s been an obsession of mine from my earliest memories. I always tell my students it’s almost like a drug for me. I need it all the time.”
And unlike many historians who focus on a small topic in history, McCormick’s interests are wide-ranging. He teaches or has written about subjects like early-20th-century reform in Macedonia, the history of sports in America, 19th-century German music and the history of the Soviet Union.
“I continue to do that because it keeps it vibrant and exciting and fun,” he says. Having diverse interests also gives McCormick a better understanding of the broad view of human history and shows him links between events and trends in one part of the world versus another part of the world, or in different eras.
He also doesn’t limit himself to sharing history strictly through USC Upstate classes. McCormick also has a vibrant podcast, writes books on some of the topics that interest him and need more attention (he’s working on two right now: one on Croatian war criminals from World War II and one on the eight Lords Proprietors and the colony of Carolina). Both outlets — and the podcast, in particular — let him share his interests with a new audience: members of the general public, up to retirees who still have a thirst for knowledge.
No matter the source that sparked the flame, McCormick’s love of history has been blazing almost his entire life. And that blaze has been a guiding light for hundreds of USC Upstate students during his 25-year career there.
“I get lots of comments: ‘He’s always enthusiastic. He’s always got a smile on his face.…’ I’m a big believer in smiling,” McCormick says. “When I walk into the classroom, I’ve got a big smile on my face and say, ‘Hey, everybody. How are you doing today?’ You know, a big smile, enthusiasm is contagious. Optimism is contagious.”
Soon, the students catch on, relax and open up to what he’s teaching. And once they do, well, look out. “You’ve got to get them going. You’ve got to get them excited,” he says. “I want them to always be curious about the world and the human experience.”
It's the story of humans. How can you not like the story of humans?"
More often than he would like, someone tells McCormick that they hated history in school. “But I’m always shocked when someone says that because it’s the history of us,” he says. “It’s the story of humans. How can you not like the story of humans? The twists and turns, the great achievements, the terrible lows, the good, the evil. The story of humans is captivating.”
One obvious reason is that maybe those people didn’t have a teacher who was as excited about the topic as McCormick. Or maybe they didn’t convey it in an engaging, thoughtful way. Too often, history classes become contests of memorizing dates, names and places. The thrills, tears, breakthroughs and setbacks lose emotion when boiled down to such facts. The fascinating parts get cooked off in that kind of reduction.
“I stress to them, don’t ever stop learning. No matter what you’re doing in life, always keep reading. Keep your mind going. Keep your mind engaged. Keep yourself fresh,” he says. “There’s a lot of stuff that I’m glad I know. I may not have been aware of how important it was in my life when I learned it. There’s religious history. There’s psychology. There’s all manner of things I learned in school that I’m really glad I know now.”
McCormick has made it his life’s work to share his enthusiasm for history with the next generation, and the next, and … does he see an end to it at some point? Well, that’s not coming any time soon. He’s having too much fun.
“I thought about retirement, you know, how that’s going to be a massive transition because I look forward to every semester. There’s nothing more exciting, I think, than walking in on the first day,” he says. “It’s just thrilling.”