George Santayana wrote that "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." History provides the most useful key of knowledge for unlocking all other realms of human development. It embraces many fields of academic enquiry and uses them to provide a detailed picture of various cultures and their governments, legal systems, social behavior, art, economic systems, literature, religious, medicines, technologies, sports, fashions, and myriad other endeavors. A university-level education would be inconceivable without it, because learning about the past is imperative to understanding the present and preparing for the future. The study of history provides a solid foundation not only for history and social studies education majors, but for careers in law, business, government, international relations, journalism, library services, and museums, to name but a few. As peoples of different ethnicities interact with each other more frequently in the 21st Century, understanding each others' past paves the way for harmonious and beneficial cross-cultural relations.

In addition to resources of the University Library, students have access to materials at the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture and the Washington State Archives, Eastern Region. Internships are available at several agencies in the area, such as the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture, the University Archives, and the City/County Historic Preservation Office.