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Author Pen Name:
Jim Duffey
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Author Bio
My career has been as a full time high school history and government teacher, and an adjunct American History professor at Kent State University. During the latter part of my high school career I served as Social Studies Department Chairman. While teaching at Fitch High, one of my students whose father was a professor at Youngstown State University, and who I knew from doing my Master's work there, encouraged me to apply for teaching evening classes at YSU. Unfortunately, when I did apply there were no openings. That's when I received a call from the Assistant Dean at KSU's Stark Campus and was invited to join their Adjunct faculty. I thought I'd try it for a few years until my kids were out of college, but ended up teaching at KSU for 26 years in both the History Department and the Education Department.
Bio Snippets for Social Media
My writing is designed to make history fun to learn.
Interest in Participating in Panels or Story Time
Book 1:
A Peek Into the Past
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Summary
A Peek Into the Past is a collection of historical stories I've used to open my history classes both at Austintown Fitch High School and at Kent State (Stark Campus) where I was an adjunct professor for 26 years. Most of the stories are little known parts of history that I used to get everyone's attention so I could start the day's or evening's lesson. Mixed in with the short historical pieces are famous quotes, chosen because they either provoke you to think or just to entertain you. Interspersed with all this is some humor... most often puns... because I believe puns use our language in creative and many times humorous ways.
Book 2:
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About History... But Were Afraid to Ask
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Summary
is also a collection of historical stories I've used to open my history classes, both at Austintown Fitch High School and at Kent State (Stark Campus) where I was an adjunct professor for 26 years. Most of the stories are little known parts of history that I used to get everyone's attention so I could start the day's or evening's lesson. Mixed in with the short historical pieces are famous quotes, chosen because they either provoke you to think or just to entertain you. Interspersed with all this is some humor... most often puns... because I believe puns use our language in creative and many times humorous ways.
Book 3:
Victim of Honor
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Summary
is the story of a Confederate attempt to free southern military prisoners from Johnson's Island prison in early 1865. Captain John Yates Beall led a group of Confederate soldiers out of Canada with the intention of freeing those confined there, thus aiding the southern cause. The story is called that for several reasons, Captain Beall and his crew failed to achieve their purpose. Later this same group of Confederates attempted to stop a train headed for Boston that contained a number of Confederate officers being taken from Johnson's Island to a prison in Massachusetts. Beall and an 18 year old soldier were captured in Niagara Falls, New York. Beall was put on trial for his life and unfortunately the young soldier with him was convinced to testify as to what the Confederate plans were, thus contributing to the conviction of Beall, to save his own life. Beall was executed in New York City in 1865. The young 18 year old soldier became a minister after the war and spent the rest of his life looking over his shoulder because he feared one of Beall's friends would try to seek revenge on him.
Allergies and Dietary Restrictions
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