Shoptaugh to deliver 2009-10 Roland and Beth Dille Distinguished Faculty Lecture

Dr. Terry Shoptaugh will deliver the 2009-2010 Roland and Beth Dille Distinguished Faculty Lecture during Homecoming Week next fall semester.

Shoptaugh arrived on campus in 1986, hired as the Director of University Archives/Northwest Minnesota Historical Center and part-time reference librarian. He earned tenure in 1991 and for many years, students have enrolled in Dr. Shoptaugh’s history and American multicultural studies classes. Moreover, as Korella Selzer writes in her nomination letter for the Dille Lecturer, students respect and appreciate his knowledge of local history, Minnesota History, and U.S. History. “He,” Selzer notes, “instills in them the overall context of history. I have witnessed students becoming excited about their research after discussing their projects with Dr. Shoptaugh.”

Shoptaugh’s research articles, books, presentations, and lectures pertain to the history of Minnesota, North Dakota, MSUM, agriculture, flooding in the Red River Valley, and World War II. In the late 90s, Shoptaugh’s article about Herman Stern and World War II received the State Historical Society of North Dakota Editor’s Award. Shoptaugh’s first book, Roots of Success: History of the Red River Valley Sugarbeet Growers (1997), was nominated for the Theodore Saloutos Memorial Award. In 2004, his second book, Images of Moorhead, was published and available to readers. Shoptaugh’s most recent published work, You Have Been Kind Enough to Assist Me: Herman Stern and the Refugee Crisis (2008), was a finalist for the 21st Minnesota Book Award. Selzer reveals in her nomination letter that, “Publication is pending on a fourth book regarding the activities of the North Dakota 164th National Guard Unit during World War II.”

Shoptaugh is considering his Dille Lecture topic and will work with the Homecoming Planning Committee to select an evening to share some of his work, knowledge, and insight with the campus and regional community next fall as the 2009-2010 Roland and Beth Dille Distinguished Faculty Lecturer.