John Dittmer (October 30, 1939[1] – July 19, 2024) was an American historian, and Professor Emeritus ofDePauw University.[2]
John Dittmer was fromSeymour, Indiana.[3] He was the oldest of 6 children. He graduated from Shields High School in Seymour in 1957, being inducted into SHS Wall of Fame in 2006.[4] He later graduated fromIndiana University Bloomington with bachelor's in 1961, master's in 1964 and doctoral degrees in 1971.[5]
He married Ellen Tobey and had a daughter named Julie. He enjoyed tennis and golf, and loved to watch IU football and basketball.
He taught American history atTougaloo College from 1967 to 1979, atMassachusetts Institute of Technology,Brown University, and atDePauw University from 1985 until 2003.[6] While at DePauw University, he was honored with multiple awards, including the United Methodist Church Exemplary Teaching Award in 2000, and Mr. & Mrs. Fred C. Tucker Jr. Distinguished Career Award in 2003.
The John Dittmer Award at DePauw University is named in his honor.[7]
He died on July 19, 2024, at 84 years old after a brief illness.[8]
He reviewedThe Confederate and New-Confederate Reader: The "Great Truth" about the "Lost Cause" (edited byJames W. Loewen and Edward Sebesta). He called the book an "important" and "persuasive" book, and he argued that it should be "required reading for classroom teachers." He agreed with what the book had to say about "slavery, secession, the Civil War, and Reconstruction."[9]
