Charles Preston Poland, Jr.
1934 - 2025
Dr. Poland was an enthusiastic and caring teacher. I first took one of his history courses 35 years ago and enjoyed it so much that I kept taking his classes until he retired. Mostly, they were summer or spring field trip tours. I was fortunate that the first one I signed up for covered the beginning of the American Civil War. We followed the war chronologically for the most part. It took eight seasons to cover the entire war, and we only concentrated on action in Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. Much of the time was spent traveling by car, following the routes of the major campaigns.
Some of my classmates had completed the series before and were doing it a second time. Well, I wound up doing the same thing. The trips were never exactly the same though, for Dr. Poland was always learning new things and leading us to new places.
He and his wife were some of my favorite people. We continued to exchange Christmas cards after he retired. It hurts to lose him.
Fantastic!
ReplyDeleteThose trips must have been very interesting!!
Lucky to have learned from such teachers!!
At ninety-one years old he had earned the right to move on.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry for the loss of your friend and a good teacher.
ReplyDeleteTake care, have a great day!
...we need more dedicate historians, not fewer!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great way to learn about this history that happened where you live (and nearby). So sorry for the loss of a good teacher, a good man.
ReplyDeleteDr. Poland’s dedication clearly made history come alive, turning each journey into a fresh discovery for everyone lucky enough to learn alongside him.
ReplyDeleteSad to lose someone. I am so sorry! He was a great role model and a one-of-a-kind teacher, leaving what sounds like a great legacy.
ReplyDelete