Jere Daniell, Man of Dartmouth

There’s a factually scant but nevertheless interesting article in today’s D on Jere Daniell, a salty professor emeritus of history at the College. I took a class on colonial America with him way back when, and I always thought he was a very interesting man. Dartmouth educated himself, he’s a real link to the Dickey era. Some may wince at this, but I think it’s quite appealing. He always struck me as that flinty type of northern New Englander, probably liberal when it comes down to it, but certainly tethered — liberal, that is, more out of generosity than out of ideology.

Besides, who could quarrel with a man who advises, sagely: “Don’t read The New York Times. I haven’t bought a Sunday New York Times in 30 years, and I’ve thrived.”