An American historian will detail the ups and downs of the U.S. dollar throughout the nation’s history at 7 p.m. today in the Lecture Hall of the Doudna Fine Arts Center.

H.W. Brands, a history professor at the University of Texas at Austin, has written 35 books regarding both history and economics.

He will talk about the subject of his latest book, “Greenback Planet: How the Dollar Conquered the World and Threatened Civilization as We Know It.”

Brands’ lecture, titled “The Past, Present and Future of the Dollar,” will concentrate on the period after the Civil War when, as Brand writes, the power of the dollar first began to emerge.

Ed Wehrle, a history professor, coordinated with President Bill Perry to bring Brands to Eastern.

Both Perry and Brands taught at Texas A&M and became good friends. Perry approached Brands and invited him speak at Eastern.

“(Brands) is looking at the emergence of the U.S. dollar as the most important currency in the world,” Wehrle said.

Brands will also discuss the role the dollar played in the early 20th century after World War I and World War II, as well as the effects on the dollar of the U.S. dropping the gold standard in 1971.

This period of American history was crucial to the fate of the dollar, Wehrle said.

As the world recovered from the devastation of two brutal wars, the strength of the dollar became crucial to the U.S. and would have a large role in shaping the world going forward, he said.

Brands will also address how the recent collapse of global markets has lessened the strength of the dollar and look toward the future strength and role of the dollar in the global economy.

With the rise of China as a powerful economic force and growing globalization, the future of the dollar is uncertain, Wehrle said.

“We wonder how long the dollar will be the dominant form of currency,” he said.

Brands said it is important that students take notice of this uncertainty and learn more about the economic climate of their nation.

Wehrle agreed and said students should gain a better understanding of the history of the dollar and think about what the future may hold as the U.S. emerges from a recession.

“Without question, the dollar and the place of the dollar in global market remains very relevant to discussions today,” Werhle said.

“The Past, Present and Future of the Dollar” is the eighth annual Barry D. Riccio Lecture to be presented by the history department.

Brands will take questions during his lecture, which will be followed by a reception.

Barry D. Riccio was a history professor at Eastern who died of cancer in 2001. Riccio’s family established the Barry D. Riccio History Fund after his death and began funding the lecture series in conjunction with Eastern’s history department in 2003.

Tim Deters can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected]