After 40 years at Dartmouth, the last of three generations of the Daniell clan will soon be leaving the College. Jere Daniell '55, professor of American history at Dartmouth for 36 years, will take the College-offered flexible retirement option this year.
Well-respected by colleagues and students alike, Daniell is described by Chair of the history department Michael Ermarth as possessing a "unique mix of qualities and talents -- most notably his contagious delight in masterful teaching and learning."
Daniell has taught more than 10 courses during his time at Dartmouth, most significantly The History of New England and The History of the American Revolution.
He said he will continue to teach these courses next year, and he may teach additional courses, depending on the class preferences of his successor who has yet to be named by the department.
Daniell has also written several articles about Dartmouth's history including a chronicle of Casque & Gauntlet, as well as a biography of Eleazar Wheelock and articles about the College's Charter.
Before he matriculated at Dartmouth, Daniell attended Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire for a post-graduate year and then entered the Navy.
In return for his service during the Korean War, the Navy put Daniell through college, and in the family tradition -- Daniell's father was a member of the Class of 1922 -- he chose Dartmouth.
A graduate of the Class of 1955, Daniell earned valedictory honors as well as membership in Phi Beta Kappa honor society while at the College. He was also a member of Green Key Junior Honor Society and served as chairman of the Judiciary Committee.
Following his undergraduate career, he attended Harvard University where he received both his master's and doctorate degrees in American history.
"When I graduated from Harvard, Dartmouth was looking for an early American historian " they hired me and that's the last time they've looked for one since 1964," Daniell said.
He later served as department chair from 1979-1983.
Daniell has fostered a fascination with New Hampshire history at Dartmouth, and is well-known as the premiere authority on College history.
Though Daniell was raised in Millinocket, Me., his family owned a paper mill in Franklin, N.H., and it was there that Daniell's intrigue with the state began.
Daniell currently speaks to dormitory, sorority and fraternity groups as well as alumni clubs, about the history of the College.
Daniell is the author of three books about the state that explore the politics and history of the area. In addition, he served as a trustee on the boards of numerous historical societies during the late seventies and eighties.
With the College's "flexible retirement option" plan, professors have the choice to sign up for retirement between the ages of 59 and 67, according to Daniell.
Professors then take on a reduced courseload at a lower salary for three years, after which they do not officially teach at Dartmouth.
When asked what he will do with his free time after his retirement, Daniell said "It's not something that I want to overplan -- I don't plan on taking out a map of the world and start marking things off."
Some Dartmouth professors stay on at the College's invitation after the three-year period is over. Daniell says that he may do the same, if asked.
He will maintain his practice of giving 30 to 40 public lectures a year, and make more time for writing than he has recently.
Daniell is currently working on a book entitled "Small Town New England."
True to his reputation as a lover of the New Hampshire region and all things Dartmouth, Daniell says "I have a map of New England, and I mark the places that I've lectured, but I plan on staying in Hanover."
Of Daniell's retiring, Ermarth said "he is a remarkable and rare combination of traits, and has been an invaluable personal force in the history department."
