Employees are usually encouraged to leave their work at the office, rather than take it home with them, lest they risk getting burned out. Steve Dodson, longtime Allen Community College instructor, doesnt mind.
In fact, he has, for decades, overlapped personal and professional interests regarding the nations, nay worlds, history to bring the past to life for students. Dodson has taught 27 years for Allen, the first three years as an adjunct instructor and the past 24 as full-time professor at the Allen campus in Burlingame.
This fall, however, he is teaching two courses at the Iola campus: World History to 1500 and The American West. Depending on the interest in those inaugural offerings, he will return in the spring and, possibly, add Kansas History to his course schedule.
Kansas History hasnt been offered on the Iola campus since 2000. With both classes full this semester, the likelihood is great that Dodson will be making more trips here next spring and beyond.
While the social sciences help college students meet degree requirements, Allen always encourages community members to take courses on any of its campuses Iola, Burlingame or online. Tuition is reasonable, and the Scarlet and Black program offers tuition-free courses for Allen County seniors to continue their learning.
DODSON CAME to Allen after teaching eight years at Topeka West, Tribune and Bern high schools. His career path was set at an early age. Dodson decided to be a history teacher when he was a sophomore in high school, his passion perhaps ignited by family stories of baseball through the previous 100 years and an interest in military history sparked, again, by his familys involvement.
An example is the story of his great-grandfather who lived in West Virginia in the mid- to late-1800s and fought for the Union Army in the Civil War. The border state was especially torn by the conflict, seceding from the Confederate state of Virginia to be part of the Union. The split caused great agony for Dodsons family as the war pitted cousin against cousin, uncle against uncle on the battlefield.
A particular battle in which Dodsons great-grandfather was involved took place in 1864 and 1865 outside Petersburg, Va. Soldiers from the Union and Confederate sides dug in literally for what would be a nine-month campaign.
It was the first use of trench warfare, Dodson noted, which was later used in World War I. It was very bloody and very deadly.
Still, during respites from fighting, soldiers on the Union side found time for the great American pastime. A baseball field was built behind the Union position, albeit not far enough behind, as it would turn out.
My great-grandfather learned the game of baseball during that battle, and he was hooked, Dodson said. They were playing a game right behind the siege lines at Petersburg and the Confederates shot and killed the left fielder during the game.
The Union would prevail in the Siege of Petersburg. Dodsons forefather later snuck back home to West Virginia through the dark of night to avoid being shot by Confederate loyalists, perhaps some of whom might have been family.
The first thing he did when he got back home was build a baseball field, Dodson said. Then, after the war ended, there were teams that played there that included emancipated slaves.
Great-grandfather Dodson eventually would leave West Virginia in 1894 and move to Kansas. Others from West Virginia joined him and his family in settling at Clay Center and, again, his passion for baseball was foremost on his mind.
