Special Collections and Projects Hosts Visiting Scholar

January 7, 2026 Special Collections Highlights
Jacob Bruggeman poses with Assistant Professor of History Sam Baker (left) and a new University of Maine Baseball cap at his lecture, “Phone Phreaking: The Political Economy of Computer Hacking.”
Jacob Bruggeman poses with Assistant Professor of History Sam Baker (left) and a new University of Maine Baseball cap at his lecture, “Phone Phreaking: The Political Economy of Computer Hacking.”

This Fall, Fogler Library’s Special Collections department was pleased to host Jacob Bruggeman, a Ph.D. candidate in History from Johns Hopkins University, as a recipient of the Maine History Archives Travel Grant. Bruggeman’s research reconstructs the fascinating political history of computer hackers in America, tracing the “hacker” archetype as it evolved from the margins of the counterculture to become an important figure in mainstream American political and economic life.

Bruggeman’s visit focused on relevant sections from the William S. Cohen Papers, our largest manuscript collection. Secretary Cohen’s papers offered rich, underutilized insights into the government’s early response to the digital and national security challenges posed by computer hackers. Reflecting on his experience sifting through congressional hearing records, notes, memos and other documents, Bruggeman shared, “Congressional archives are treasures hidden in plain sight for historians … Senator William S. Cohen left important paper trails on key topics including digital privacy, computer crime, hacking, and waste, fraud and abuse within the federal government’s many computer systems. Digging into the Cohen papers reveals the long history of our present problems in the digital world.”

Bruggeman also partnered with the History Department to present a short lecture outlining his research, after which he was able to provide advice and mentorship to graduate and undergraduate students studying history at the University of Maine. We were thrilled to support Bruggeman’s scholarship and look forward to welcoming next year’s grant awardee to Fogler Library!