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John Dittmer

ジョン・ディットマー

John Dittmer

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1939-10-30 （Seymour, Indiana, United States）
Died
2024-07-19 age 84
Nationality
United States
Languages
English

Career

Occupations
Historian, Educator, Author
Active Years
1967-2024
Affiliations
Tougaloo College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Brown University, DePauw University

Education

Indiana University Bloomington
History
Degree: B.A.
Period: 1957-1961
Year of Graduation: 1961
Country: United States
Indiana University Bloomington
History
Degree: M.A.
Period: 1961-1964
Year of Graduation: 1964
Country: United States
Indiana University Bloomington
History
Degree: Ph.D.
Period: 1964-1971
Year of Graduation: 1971
Country: United States

Awards

Bancroft Prize
1995
Work: Local People: The Struggle for Civil Rights in Mississippi
Organization: Columbia University
Result: 受賞
Lillian Smith Book Award
Work: Local People: The Struggle for Civil Rights in Mississippi
Result: 受賞
United Methodist Church Exemplary Teaching Award
2000
Organization: DePauw University
Result: 受賞
Mr. & Mrs. Fred C. Tucker Jr. Distinguished Career Award
2003
Organization: DePauw University
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Local People: The Struggle for Civil Rights in Mississippi

1995 History

A detailed historical study of grassroots civil rights activism in Mississippi, focusing on local people and activists and tracing organization and impact.

Civil RightsGrassroots MovementsRacial Justice

Black Georgia in the Progressive Era, 1900-1920

1980 History

A study of African American life and political and social changes in Georgia during the early 20th century.

African American HistoryProgressive EraRegional History

Essays on the American Civil Rights Movement

1993 History

An edited volume of scholarly essays on the American civil rights movement, containing contributions from multiple historians.

Civil RightsHistoriography

The Good Doctors: The Medical Committee for Human Rights and the Struggle for Social Justice in Health Care

2009 History

A historical account of the Medical Committee for Human Rights and its role in the civil rights movement and the struggle for social justice in health care.

Health Care and Social JusticeCivil Rights Movement

Bibliography

  • Local People: the Struggle for Civil Rights in Mississippi (1995)
  • Essays on the American Civil Rights Movement (1993) (editor)
  • Black Georgia in the Progressive Era, 1900-1920 (1980)
  • The Good Doctors: The Medical Committee for Human Rights and the Struggle for Social Justice in Health Care (2009)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Scholarly, evidence-driven proseNarrative emphasizing field research and oral histories
Recurring Motifs
Emphasis on grassroots movementsLocal community perspectivesInsight into racial injustice

Health

  • brief illness
    2024
    Reported to have died after a brief illness.

Legacy

John Dittmer was an important historian of the civil rights movement, highly regarded for empirical studies emphasizing grassroots activism and local history. Through his teaching at DePauw University and awards such as the Bancroft Prize, he left a lasting impact on scholarship and education.

Academic Societies

  • Organization of American Historians (associated)

Archives

  • DePauw University Archives

Trivia

  • DePauw University has a "John Dittmer Award" named in his honor.
  • Graduated from Shields High School in Seymour in 1957 and was inducted into its Wall of Fame in 2006.
  • He enjoyed tennis and golf and was a fan of Indiana University football and basketball.
  • Married to Ellen Tobey and had a daughter named Julie.