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Address:
If you look up "history teacher" in the dictionary it will refer you to Chuck Bonwell. Long before there was a national movement for the improvement of instruction in history, there was Bonwell encouraging the department -- and anyone else who would listen -- in developing better teaching techniques. From 1959 to 1962, Bonwell served as an Air Intelligence Officer in the U.S. Navy and continued that service in the Naval Reserve until his retirement as a Captain in 1982. After earning an M.S. in engineering at Stanford University1 and an M.A in History at San Jose State College, Bonwell earned a Ph.D. at Kansas State University, specializing in the history of science and technology. At Southeast he pursued that interest by teaching about technology2. By 1978, his passion for teaching began to take center stage in his career. He founded the College of Social Sciences Ad Hoc Committee for the Enhancement of Teaching, chaired the College Faculty Development Committee, coordinated workshops, and chaired the University Teaching Enhancement Committee. From 1983 to 1986, Bonwell led the Department of History -- people still talk about the retreat in Earth City! In 1990, he ended his full-time service in the department when he assumed the directorship of Southeast's Center for Teaching and Learning (now the CSTL). While at Southeast Bonwell developed an international reputation for his efforts to improve teaching. The American Association for Higher Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching named him as one of fifty educators who provided "extraordinary educational leadership." He was one of five historians chosen to develop and present teaching/learning workshops by the Organization of American History FIPSE Project. Bonwell founded and presided over the Intellectual Skills Development Association, edited its newsletter, and was on the editorial board for their journal. Bonwell's list of publications is numerous with several books, a dozen articles published, more than two dozen presentations delivered all over the world, and countless workshops. Between 1987-1993, he conducted teaching workshops at forty colleges and universities and in the last eight years at seventy-four more. One book, Active Learning: Creating Excitement in the Classroom (1991), is still extensively used.
To learn more, go to:
1 Some say he gave up
engineering as a profession after he took his toilet
apart and then could not put it back together.
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Lawrence
E. Breeze
Dr. Larry Breeze's first view of Europe came in 1944 over the rail of a troop ship heading to England. His first trip to the continent was "up close and personal" as he and other members of the 78th Division toured France, Belgium, and Germany. The 78th saw service along the Siegfried Line, the Roer and Rhine rivers, the Cologne plain, the Remagen bridgehead, and the Ruhr pocket. When Breeze came home he had a new appreciation for both Europe and history. Before the war, Breeze hoped to become a civil engineer and almost had that opportunity when the army sent him to the University of New Hampshire. However, according to Breeze, the army needed infantrymen more than engineers and new orders were cut. Following the war he tried to return to New Hampshire but housing shortages and state policies giving preference to New Hampshire residents made return impossible. He applied to the University of Missouri, but the acceptance letter was lost in the mail. Desperate, he decided to "walk on" at Missouri Valley College. That lost letter and a devoted teacher of European history changed Breeze's life goal. After receiving his B.S. in Education, he went on to earn an M.A. and Ph.D. in European history from the University of Missouri. Prior to his tenure at Southeast, Breeze was an Instructor at the University of Missouri (1951-52), an Assistant Professor at Jacksonville Junior College (1952-56), and an Associate Professor/Professor of History at Jacksonville University (1956-66). With a specialty in European history, Dr. Breeze taught his fair share of Western Civilization courses at a time when every student was required to take 5 hours in American history and 6 hours in other Social Science courses. He also taught a variety of upper-level and graduate courses dealing with modern Britain and 20th Century Europe. His most popular courses were the special topic courses he introduced on Northern Ireland and Fascism. Dr. Breeze served as the Advisor to Phi Alpha Theta for many years and was a member of the University’s Graduate Council during the formative years of the graduate program. Dr. Breeze was a frequent reviewer of books written about European history. His book reviews were published in Journal of Southern History, Victorian Studies, and Florida Historical Quarterly. He served as editorial consultant for the Forum Press in 1977, for the section on the mid-Victorian period in their textbook The English Heritage by J. H. Plumb and others. An article, The Inskips, was published in Methodist History (July, 1975). Dr. Breeze presented papers and/or served as discussant and/or chair at sessions of the Missouri Conference on History and of the Mid-America Conference on History. He also directed theses in the Department of History and served as outside reader for the Departments of English, Physical Education, and Art. Dr. Breeze is listed in The Directory of American Scholars. Following retirement, Dr. Breeze continued to write and research. His book, The British Experience With Water Pollution, 1865-1876 was published in 1993. His research was the focus of his 1996 presentation at the Dugger Lecture. Besides research, retirement for Dr. Breeze and his wife, Alice, has included a great deal of travel on this continent and in Europe. Breeze returned to Europe in 1964 and again in 1984 when he spent a semester teaching in the Missouri-London Program. In 1988, Breeze and his son, Dan, took an extensive battle field tour revisiting some of the sites he had seen in WWII. In 2000, Breeze and his wife returned to Europe for another lengthy stay. Dr. Larry Breeze's secret to a long
and productive retirement is to think young and keep your mind active.
It seems to be working. |
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Address:
Dr. John Coleman came to Southeast at age 26 while working on his dissertation ("In the Pursuit of Harmony: A Study in the Thought of Jesse Macy") at the University of Iowa. Except for a year teaching American history in Springfield Illinois, he spent his career working in the Southeast "cook house." Always interested in intellectual history and language, Dr. Coleman taught courses in American intellectual history and historiography as well as specialty courses dealing with colonial America, the "New American Republic," the history of Missouri, and the Jacksonian era. In the mid-1970's, Dr. Coleman created the first department newsletter on campus and his work became the model for other departments. His efforts in editing Pastscript kept students informed about the department and other graduates for twenty-five years. His list of publications and presentations over his thirty-four years is lengthy, but many have centered on American thought. In the last several years Coleman developed an interest in the career of Billy Sunday and in American culinary heritage. His article, "Casting Bread on Troubled Waters: Grahamism in the West," was published in The Journal of American Culture. He has also written "A Taste of the River: An Examination of the Culinary Heritage of the Mississippi River Valley," "The Grossest Feeders in the World: A History of Eating and Drinking in America," and "The American Diet: The Challenges of Abundance and Discipline." This interest in food -- particularly his willingness to share his baking masterpieces -- led to his title as the department's "Pillsbury Doughboy."
Alberta Macke Dougan
Address Dr.
Dougan grew up in Dr.
Dougan served as Chair of the Department of History from 1991-2001.
During that time she supervised the “temporary” move of the department
into Kent Library while Carnahan Hall was being renovated. Five years
later she coordinated the department’s return to a building that, on the
exterior, still appeared much the same as it did when it was constructed
in 1902; but on the interior was a modern, high tech building.
In addition to teaching responsibilities and
responsibilities as department chair, Dr. Dougan was actively involved
in campus governance including serving as Chair of the Faculty Senate,
Moderator of the Chair’s Forum, and Chair of the University Promotion
and Sabbatical Leave Committee. She also served on the Administrative
Council, University Planning and Budget Committees, Graduate Council,
and the College Councils of the Dr.
Dougan has been active in Social Studies Education throughout her
career. She
has been an active member and sponsor of the Southeast Missouri Council
for the Social Studies, continuing to plan and organize its annual
meetings in retirement. She has also been active in the Missouri Council
for the Social Studies, having served on its Board of Directors for many
years and serving as editor of
Horizons,
the MCSS Newsletter for 10 years. The National Council for the Social
Studies (NCSS) has given her the opportunity to work for improvement of
social studies education at the national level. She has served as a
teacher education program reviewer since 1988 and is currently the
Coordinator of Program Review for NCSS. Additionally she has served on
multiple task forces that developed national standards for social
studies educators and served as lead author of the most recent revision
of the standards. After being selected by NCSS as its representative to
National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) in
1999, she has served as chair of COPPE (an association of all licensure
area representatives) and on several of the governing boards such as the
Executive Board, the Specialty Area Studies Board, and the State
Partnership Board. She has also served on the Board of Examiners, teams
of educators that review institutional programs. In addition she has
served as a consultant to State Boards of Education in
During her professional career Dr. Dougan has made
numerous presentations at annual meetings of the NCSS, the American
Historical Association, the Organization of American Historians, the
American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education, the Missouri Bar
Association (as a member of its Citizenship Education Committee), and
was invited by the AHA to participate in a Wingspread Conference on the
Future of the Masters Degree in the Preparation of History
Professionals. She also presented a paper at an International Social
Studies Conference in Sydney Australia in 1977. Although she has had
multiple publications, she feels her real impact as a professional has
been through her presentations and her work with the National Standards
for Social Studies Teachers. Dr. Dougan was recognized by the
university administration in 2005 when she received the PRIDE Award, in
recognition of her exemplary record of teaching, scholarship, and
service. She received the award at the December 2005 Commencement
ceremony. In addition, she was recognized as an Exemplary Teacher by
Governor Matt Blunt in an April 2006 ceremony in When asked “What do you miss most in retirement?” Dr.
Dougan’s response was “teaching and advising students.” The day-to-day
interaction with students, watching them “grow” as professionals and
“get it” as a history concept sinks in is the real joy in teaching. Dr. Dougan has been serving as Coordinator of
Assessment for two Teaching American History Grants locally supported by
the Jackson R-2 Schools, Southeast Missouri State University, and the
SEMO Council for the Social Studies. Dr. Dougan has indicated that the
pleasure of being involved with the grants is watching her former
students function as professionals and the opportunity to plan and
participate in programs that bring prominent historians to Jackson
Missouri; to read the books and other resources provided for the
teachers; and to observe participants’ growth as teachers and historians
through their involvement in the grants. The resources provided by the
grants have enriched both the participants and their students. Retirement has given Dr. Dougan the opportunity to spend more time working with the grants and the Jackson Heritage Association. However, the work with program review for NCSS, the continuing involvement in NCATE, and with the SEMO Council for the Social Studies has made her question the definition of “retirement.”
Address:
2551 Fairlane
If you know Larry
Easley, you know he is into family and teaching – though many would say
you would need to add computers too.
In the more than forty years he taught in the history department
at
Larry Easley used his love of family in his teaching.
For many years in his American History II classes students
were required to research their own family history and tell the
story on a web page they created.
It was, in the memory of many of those students, the most
significant academic experience in their college career.
Larry remembered with great fondness growing up in
In retirement, Easley hopes to continue teaching part time, do some traveling, spend a lot of time with his grand children, finally learn PhotoShop, and create an archive of family photos.
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At a critical juncture in the history of the Department of History at Southeast Missouri State University, Dr. George Ketcham stood up and was counted. It was 1968. Two members of the Department of History and six others across the campus had been summarily fired by the administration. Faculty all over Southeast were outraged and Ketcham became a leader in the attempt to secure changes in university policy. In gratitude, the department unanimously elected him Department Chair and Chairman of the Division of History and Social Sciences on the death of "Woody" Davis. When Dr. Ketcham came to Southeast almost ten years before, he planned on a life filled with students and research, not administration. Ketcham received his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Missouri with an emphasis in European and art history. During his teaching career he taught a wide range of courses dealing with the European experience. Ketcham widened his field of expertise by developing a specialty in the Middle East, even spending time in the region becoming familiar with the people and places he talked about in his classes. He was a long-time member of the Missouri Committee of American-Arab Affairs Council and was active in its programs and promoting the agenda of understanding the people, culture, and history of the region.
Following five years in the department harness, Ketcham stepped down as Department Chair but continued as head of the Division of History and Social Sciences. When the University developed its current collegiate administrative structure, Ketcham became the first Dean of the College of Social Sciences, serving in that position until 1977 when he returned to full-time teaching. Among his accomplishments as Dean, Dr. Ketcham points to the creation of the Historic Preservation and Criminal Justice programs at Southeast. Following his retirement, George and his wife, Yvonne, moved to the outskirts of Springfield, Missouri. Among advantages they counted in the move was the improved climate, proximity to Kansas City relatives, and the fact that they can see turkey, geese, birds of every description, and even deer from their patio. The Ketchams have even become avid bird and flower watchers. Dr. Ketcham has a small garden which he has perfected, producing a wide range of vegetables for his table and many others in the neighborhood. That interest in gardening carries over into their frequent trips. Besides special exhibitions at art galleries, the Ketchams also enjoy touring public gardens.
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Address: 1508 Kingsbury Dr. For those who remember Art Mattingly, there are three things they will probably list. His ability to bring history to life in the classroom, the Historic Preservation Program, and Normal to University: A Century of Service. Born in Southeast Missouri, Art Mattingly attended Southeast Missouri State College with a major in Social Studies Education. He went on to receive an MA in history from the University of Missouri and a Ph.D. from Kansas State University in 1971. Though Mattingly listed thirty courses in the catalog he could teach, his favorites revolved around the American military experience. He was, in fact, selected to teach a workshop on military history at West Point. His feeling that history should also be "hands-on" led to his leadership in the creation of the Historic Preservation Program at Southeast. This hands-on approach to historic preservation led to one of the most interesting projects undertaken in the program. In 1983 a historic log house was threatened with destruction. The owners were willing to donate the structure to the university if it were moved off site. Dr. Mattingly and his students presided over the dismantling and reconstruction of the Hunter House. Mattingly hoped that the reconstructed building could be the centerpiece for a living history site and this became a top priority for the department. Funding was never provided and the dream was never realized. Mattingly was one of the first historians to realize that an important historical source was rapidly disappearing. Long before the present interest in World War II and the men who served, Art Mattingly started an extensive oral history project that would interview, tape, and catalog the experiences of area WWII veterans.
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Dr. Martin Needels received a Ph.D. from the University of Nebraska in 1973 ("The Revolution Secured: Anglo-Scottish Negotiations During the First Year of the Long Parliament") with an emphasis in British History -- particularly the Tudor-Stuart period. In the 1980's he pursued additional study at Cambridge University and Johns Hopkins. In the more than thirty years Needels was with the department, his teaching duties included the whole range of European history and, on occasion, American history. As the department changed, Dr. Needels agreed to teach courses in Medieval history and Greece and Rome. Though others in the department shunned "Creative and Critical Thinking," the freshman seminar, Needels shouldered that chore as well. He also taught Advanced Placement workshops for area teachers and has served as a grader for the Princeton testing service. Many of the graduate students remember Dr. Needels as an informed and able Graduate advisor for their M.A. work. He was also a stalwart in advising undeclared freshman students, often working in the Liberal Arts Advising Center and in the First Step program. Among his publications, Dr. Needels lists work on Archbishop Laud, Oliver Cromwell, Edward Coke, and Thomas Harrington as well as book reviews published in the Journal of Seventeenth Century Studies. |
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Faculty member, chairperson of the Department of History, Dean of the College of Social Sciences, Dr. Gene Ramsey did it all. Following a stint with the U.S. Marine Corps in the Korean War, Ramsey attended Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi, the University of Nancy (France), and the University of Mississippi. From 1965 to 1966 he taught in Heidelberg (Germany) for the University of Maryland. Ramsey earned his Ph.D. in history from Brigham Young University. His dissertation research on the scientific exploration and discovery in the Great Basin became a life-long interest. Ramsey considered himself a Southerner by birth and a Westerner by training. While at Southeast he was the department specialist on both. He taught courses on the South, the Civil War, and the frontier. He developed a reputation for his careful preparation and quality of his presentations. Some students would also add quantity of assigned reading as well. One of the highlights of his career was the year he spent in England teaching in the Missouri London program (1988). Ramsey was a frequent reviewer of books about the west in Journal of the West, Journal of American History, and the Western Historical Quarterly. He presented his research in conferences all over the country. Even in retirement he continued his work on the Joseph Burke expedition, often traveling to western archives for research.
After retirement, Gene and his wife, Luitgard, traveled
widely in the west and Europe. Ramsey continued a life-long
interest in the outdoors, particularly in the wood cutting, cabin
building, and yearly deer hunts on property near Arab, Missouri. Dr. B.
Gene Ramsey died in August 2005 leaving behind a grieving family,
colleagues who will miss his humor and wisdom, and thousands of students
who benefited from his teaching.
J. Christopher Schnell Chris Schnell spent his entire career teaching in the history department at Southeast, coming to Cape Girardeau in 1970 from graduate work at Kansas State University. Though he taught a variety of courses at SEMO, his specialty in modern American history had a decided political slant. He was vitally interested in the American political system and, most particularly, those elected to the presidency. He developed a multi-discipline course on the American presidency with members of the political science and speech departments. The class was always full and received a great deal of attention because of its innovative nature. The course and the relationship with speech and political science eventually became a weekly radio program on KRCU. Chris and his colleagues had a wide array of visitors on "Going Public" who came to talk and answer questions. Listeners were impressed by Chris' skill on the radio but this should not have been a surprise since Chris majored in radio and television as an undergraduate and worked as a radio DJ early in his career. Dr. Schnell was also involved with "Public Forum" on KBSI and "Historical Almanac" on KRCU. Even though he was knowledgeable about all fourteen twentieth century occupants of the White House, he was most particularly involved with the presidencies of Franklin Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy. Much of his scholarly work revolved around the New Deal and the Kennedy assassination. Several of his articles, "Missouri Progressives and the Nomination of F. D. R.," and "Harry L. Hopkins and the Politics of Relief," were given awards by the State Historical Society of Missouri as the best articles published in 1974 and 1982. His research on Roosevelt and the New Deal garnered numerous research grants from the Eleanor Roosevelt Institute, The Richard S. Brownlee Foundation, and Southeast Missouri State University. His interest in John Kennedy, and most particularly the conspiracy theories surrounding his death, was the fodder for dozens of presentations to groups large and small. When Larry Breeze stepped down as the advisor to Phi Alpha Theta, the national honor society in history, Chris Schnell became their advisor for the last twenty-five years of his career. Schnell's interest in student research led to a thirty year involvement with the Southeast Missouri Conference on History and his service on countless thesis and graduate paper committees. Throughout his tenure at Southeast, Chris Schnell was also actively involved in the Missouri Conference on History, presenting research and serving as president of the conference for three years. In that role, Chris helped to attract and direct the annual conference on the Southeast campus. Attendees remember those conferences on campus as some of the most memorable the conference ever conducted.
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Known for his dry humor and wonderful lectures, Dr. Charles Sharp was a fixture in the department for thirty-five years. To celebrate his status as a teacher, the Alumni Association awarded him the third annual Faculty Merit Award, the first non-alumnus to receive that honor. After chairing the Faculty Senate for two terms, 1980-1982, he served for six years on the select committee that brought about the transition from "General Education" to "University Studies."
Dr. Sharp was lured to Southeast Missouri State College as an instructor in history teaching the required American History survey. In 1969, Sharp took a leave of absence to work on his Ph.D. at the University of Georgia with an emphasis in American foreign relations. While working on his Master's Degree at Baylor, he developed a strong interest in Asian history -- especially China. For many years he taught courses on Chinese, Japanese, and Asian history. To broaden that interest and perspective, Dr. Sharp has traveled in mainland China (1979, 1984, 1988). He has also toured the Soviet Union, Spain, Ireland, and Austria. Along with teaching a variety of other courses, including American Diplomatic History, History of the South, Methods of Historical Research, and Historiography, Dr. Sharp also served for several years as Departmental Graduate Advisor. During the last fifteen years, Sharp has presented papers on China and American Foreign Policy at the Institute for Asian Studies in Hong Kong, the International Association of Asian Studies, the International Society for the Comparative Study of Civilizations in Dublin, the Los Alamos International History Conference, the Southwestern Historical Association, the Japan Studies Association, and many others. While Dr. Sharp's tenure in the department was one of the longest in the department's history, his retirement may be the shortest in memory. After a summer off, Charles Sharp was again "Professor Sharp," but not at Southeast. On August 26, 2001 Dr. Sharp boarded a plane for China where he taught the History of American Culture at a medical school in Sichuan province. "I probably won't do more than make expenses," Sharp reported, "but this is an opportunity I can't afford to miss. Who knows, If this works out I may do it again." During his four months in China, Sharp saw a side of China few in the west get to see and made, he hopes, a lasting impression on his Chinese students. Sharp has not been back to China, but he has taken road trips all over the region.
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Address: 21746 County Road 510 The education of secondary Social Studies teachers has been a major emphasis at Southeast for more than a century. For thirty years of that century that emphasis was directed by Dr. Robert Skelton. In that time, Skelton advised and mentored literally thousands of Social Studies graduates. Today in classrooms all over Missouri, Social Studies teachers are applying the lessons learned as a Skelton student. Dr. Skelton earned a B.S. in Education at Northeast Oklahoma State College followed by a Masters and then Ed.D. at the University of Arkansas. While at Southeast, Skelton developed a wide following among students who appreciated his laid-back teaching style and individual concern. Some students took one, then another, and yet another of Skelton's classes -- working on a minor in "Skelton Studies." Skelton was also active in teaching, presenting, and writing about Native Americans -- especially the Cherokee. Born in Oklahoma, Skelton is proud of the fact that he is a voting member of the Cherokee Nation. He continues work on editing the journal of Daniel Butrick and the Trail of Tears. With the advent of the Historic Preservation Program, Skelton put on another hat. For many years after its inception, Dr. Skelton was responsible for the University Archives. Much of the collection is available as a result of his efforts. In retirement, Dr. Skelton plans to be a gentleman farmer in Bloomfield, Missouri. The farm, his duties as a fisherman, woodchopper, deer hunter, and Kathy's husband will keep him busy for the next few years. |
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Truman Smith is the youngest person hired as a member of the Department of History. Coming to Southeast at age 23, Smith had just received his M.A. in history from the University of Arkansas. When he entered Henderson State Teachers College to work on his B.S. in Education he felt his life would be spent as a secondary history teacher. The expansion of Southeast Missouri State College in the early 1960's, however, gave Smith a chance that defined his career. During his twenty-two years in the classroom, Truman Smith was unique in the department. To say his lecture style was vigorous was to understate the fact. Everyone in the department knew exactly what "Preacher" Smith did in Medieval History because they could hear his lectures at either end of the hall. Most of the time Smith -- and his students -- left class in a wonderful mood. Even Dr. Mark Scully would stop and listen, "mesmerized by the stories" Smith told. Professor Smith was widely respected as the department's most knowledgeable and sought after academic advisor. He also pursued his interest in sports by becoming the assistant baseball coach. The last ten years of Smith's southeast career were spent outside the department. In 1988 he accepted an assignment with Facilities Management working with the grounds crew. He specialized in the planting and caring for hundreds of roses planted on the campus. He also took a personal interest in the upkeep of the Hunter Log Cabin site. Truman Smith now volunteers considerable time planting and caring for flower beds at his wife's elementary school, his church, and for members of his family. Along with fishing and masquerading as a golfer, he also loves to watch his grandkids play softball and baseball. Smith notes, "It doesn't get any better than this." |
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While at Southeast, Dr. George Suggs was an effective teacher and one of the most productive scholars in the department's history. Suggs grew up in Bladenboro, North Carolina, one of the many Southern cotton mill towns. In 1947, Suggs entered Wake Forest University, but that education was interrupted first by a stint at the William Township School System in Whiteville, North Carolina and then the Korean War. Following two years in the U.S. Air Force, he went on to earn a B.A. at the University of Colorado. After another six years as a High School teacher, Suggs returned to Colorado where he earned his M.A.. Suggs was awarded a John Hay Fellowship in the Humanities at Northwestern University in 1959-1960. He received a Ph.D. in history from the University of Colorado in 1964. In 1981, he was the recipient of the N.E.H. Resident Fellowship in the Humanities at Brown University. In the fall of 1993, Suggs accepted an invitation to teach in the Missouri London Program. This program allows faculty from Missouri to spend a semester in London instructing students from all over the state. While in England, Suggs taught British Constitutional History and a course on the American Revolution from the English perspective. Though known as a gifted teacher in courses dealing with the American labor movement and Constitutional history, Suggs was first and foremost a researcher and writer. Two of his works, Colorado's War on Militant Unionism: James H. Peabody and the Western Federation of Miners (1972) and Union Busting in the Tri-State: The Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri Metal Worker's Strike, 1935-1943 (1986) are still standards. Suggs' resume lists five books written or edited, numerous articles in scholarly journals, presentations at conventions, and more than forty book reviews. George and his wife Ginny have enjoyed a productive retirement. In the years since he stepped out of the classroom he has traveled extensively in England, continental Europe and the United States. Since retirement he has continued to write, particularly about the North Carolina of his youth. Wayne State University Press published his "My World is Gone": Memories of Life in a Southern Cotton Mill Town, centering on the experiences of his father in the Bladenboro cotton mills, in May, 2002. He is also writing a series of short stories and novellas. Two, Shady Grove and Talkin' to the Dead and Other Carolina Stories have also been published. In 2000 Suggs shared some of those stories and research when he delivered the annual Dugger Lecture (" Cotton Mill Life: A Case Study"). |
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Address: Bob White retired after thirty-three years of service in the Department of History at Southeast Missouri State University. During that time he taught U.S. History to thousands of students, many of whom will always remember the "What were the major newspaper headlines on the date of your birth?" assignment. White, a native of Arkansas, earned his B.S. in Education at Arkansas State University. Before coming to Southeast, he completed his M.A. at Colorado State College in Greeley. Initially assigned to teach the American History survey, Bob gave yeoman work in the mid-sixties-- sometimes teaching six courses a semester and coordinating the American History survey. This coordination was vital since department offered between fifty and sixty sections of American History to nearly 2,000 students. Program changes were all made by hand in this era before computers on campus and White dutifully dealt with hundreds of students every semester as they dropped and added sections of history. He was one of the "founding fathers" of the Historic Preservation Program and developed and taught the infamous HP200 Techniques of Local History course. Students in his museum studies classes researched and developed exhibits for the University Museum and for museums throughout the region on topics ranging from the New Madrid Earthquake to the Missouri Mule. To further create an experiential style for his local history course, White helped secure a grant to microfilm all the county records Professor White researched and wrote on local history. His publications include book reviews, an article on Willard Vandiver, a book on slavery in Cape Girardeau County, and a book on Mississippi steamboating, Child of an Eagle. White served as one of the historical consultants for the films, Puddin Head Wilson and Life on the Mississippi. When George Ketcham gave up active teaching, White developed a field in the history of the Middle East. This led to a Fulbright Fellowship to Hebrew University in Israel and many semesters teaching about Middle Eastern life and history. Professor White also served as the Director of the Center for Regional History. During his tenure the Center received grants to further study the Mississippi River and the rural schools and communities of Cape Girardeau County. White began the practice of publishing works written by local historians through the Center and was instrumental in getting the Louis Houck papers donated to the University. He served on the Board of Directors for the River Heritage Museum, the Cape Girardeau Historic Preservation Commission, the Missouri Secretary of State’s Task Force on Local Records, and was appointed by the Governor to the Missouri State Historical Records Board. Following his retirement, Professor White pursues his love of travel and the great outdoors by developing prowess in clearing brush, chopping wood, and road construction and the dubious honor of being the only member of the Department to be so dedicated to deer hunting that he rode out a tornado in a tree stand. Bob and his wife, Wylene, have traveled to Europe, the western Caribbean, the maritime provinces of Canada, New Zealand, Brazil, and Australia since retirement. |
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© 1996 - 2009 Southeast Missouri State University |
Charles
C. 
Retirement
from Southeast in 1993 meant a new challenge, not a rocking chair.
From 1993 to 1998 Bonwell was the director of the Center for Teaching
and Learning at the St.
Louis College of Pharmacy. Following that retirement, Bonwell
and his wife Marcia moved to Green Mountain Falls, Colorado so he could
be near his beloved mountains. Bonwell is still very active in the
scholarly community sharing his expertise on active learning. He
has his own web site at: 
Address:
John
P. 
Larry
J. Easley
George 
Dr.
Ketcham had a passion for early firearms both as a collector and
artisan. Many of the weapons in his collection were fashioned by
him in his basement workshop. He enjoyed sharing his expertise
with other classes and groups around the region. The photo on the
right appeared in the Southeast Missourian in 1981.
Arthur
Martin
B. Gene
Charles
E.
Born
in Arkansas during the Depression, Sharp has strong memories of his family
and siblings struggling to survive with a lot of hard work and a little
luck. Though just a young boy, he worked alongside his parents
in the hard-scrabble cotton fields. The Sharps became "Arkies,"
migrating to California for a better life. Following High School,
Sharp entered the work force building batteries for General Motors/Delco.
Eventually, he entered Baylor University where he found his calling and a
pretty young co-ed, Mary Ellen Wilson.
Robert
Truman
George
G. 
Bob
