Remarkable Teachers--Civil War history comes alive in hands of liberal arts’ top teacher

The 2004-05 academic year was a benchmark for history professor John Neff. His book, Honoring the Civil War Dead: Commemoration and the Problem of Reconciliation, was published in March by the University Press of Kansas; he was granted tenure; and he was named the top teacher in the College of Liberal Arts.

John Neff, Glenn Hopkins, and Aileen Ajootian

“Dr. Neff’s students speak often of his enthusiasm for teaching, his infectious love of history and his challenging classes,” said Glenn Hopkins, dean of liberal arts. “He is both a remarkable classroom teacher and a caring mentor.”

Nominations for the Liberal Arts Teacher of the Year Award are invited from students, faculty, staff and alumni, and selection is made by a College of Liberal Arts committee. The award includes a plaque and a $1,000 stipend, and the recipient’s name is displayed in the dean’s office with those of past winners.

Neff, who called the award a “tremendous honor,” joined the UM history department in 1999, after receiving his bachelor’s degree from California State Polytechnic University-Pomona and his master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of California-Riverside.

His interest in the Civil War was sparked early, during family vacations to battlegrounds and other historic sites. His knowledge of the subject makes him a popular teacher: More than 100 students enrolled in his Era of the Civil War course last spring. Additionally, his guided tour of Shiloh National Park was a high point of UM’s first-ever conference on the war, “Remembering America’s Civil War,” held in May.

Graduate student Marcella Morris, who took several of Neff’s courses as an undergraduate, said Neff’s classes “made me excited to be a history major.”

“His enthusiasm in the classroom is nothing short of contagious. He uses pictures, music, paintings, literature and any other sources he can find to help bring history alive.”