Jere R. Daniell II

1932 - 2022

Jere R. Daniell, II

Hanover, NH — Jere Rogers Daniell, II, beloved Professor and Outdoorsman, who many considered to be the foremost expert of the history of Colonial Northern New England, died in his home in Hanover, NH, May 17, 2022. A Dartmouth College Professor for 39 years, Mr. Daniell, 89, was known for his self-deprecating humor, skepticism for authority and willingness to help those seeking a voice. Prof. Daniell served as history department chair from 1979 to 1983. He was the Class of 1925 Professor from 1984 until his retirement in 2003. He played a leading role in developing the African American Studies program at Dartmouth and recruited many of its original faculty. More recently, Prof. Daniell assisted Dartmouth in establishing its Native American Program.

Students sought opportunities to enroll in his classes, as he brought the early history of many of their hometowns to life. He spent hours reviewing papers submitted by his students, explaining that he believed it was his responsibility to put as much effort into grading them as they spent drafting them. Prof. Daniell was known for allowing each of his students to re-submit papers any number of times, within prescribed deadlines, if they made good faith efforts to address his edits. This meant that he often edited the same paper several times. He didn't mind the extra work, as he believed that it was his job not just to teach history, but to teach students how to think about history and how to write. He loved to teach and provided encouragement and editorial support to colleagues, friends, and amateur historians.

His retirement from full-time teaching did not stop him from giving lectures. He presented some 50 in an average year. Most of his lectures were on the topic of the New England towns and cities he visited. Once engaged to present at a New England town, he spent hours learning the details of its history, and then presenting what he found to its residents. His talks were delivered at historical societies, libraries, and other venues. The walls of his study were adorned with a map of New England, on which he kept track of each town where he lectured. Interviewed in 2013, he said that in the 1980s, he made a commitment to "learning as much about New England towns in every dimension possible."

Prof. Daniell was a member of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, the New Hampshire Historical Society (board trustee 1979-1986, 1999-2008), the Vermont Historical Society, the Maine Historical Society and the Massachusetts Historical Society. He published widely on colonial and post-colonial American history.

Prof. Daniell was without patience for those who applied modern judgments to historic events and characters. He said in a 2019 interview published in the Valley News, that a historian shouldn't even ask whether something in the past is "good or bad", but rather explain how it happened. "When you go into the past, you don't know the language," he said. "As a historian, you are as clear as you can be about the subject, and you dive in to see what you can find." He didn't take himself too seriously. Once asked about his reputation as the top expert on the region's Colonial history, Prof. Daniell chuckled, "Well, there isn't too much competition."

Mr. Daniell enjoyed fishing the local streams and had an encyclopedic knowledge of obscure fishing holes full of trout. His method was, "Go where others would not think to go." He and his wife Elena enjoyed annual fishing vacations to the Dartmouth College Grant, and to the streams around Maine's Mt. Katahdin, often joined by his brother Warren and other family members. He also enjoyed climbing local mountains such as Moosilauke and Smarts and was proud of keeping up with much younger hikers. He was an avid fan of Dartmouth's men's and women's sports teams, as well as the Patriots, Celtics and Red Sox.

Mr. Daniell played basketball into his late 40s, both recreationally and as a member of the Dartmouth intramural faculty team. He played both tennis and squash into his 70s and was never in need of a partner, because, as he explained, "Play with people who are better than you. They will win most of the time and this will make them happy. And you'll get a good workout."

He married Sally Ann Wellborn in December of 1955 and they had three children, Douglas, Alexander, and Matthew. Following their divorce in 1968, Jere married Elena Lillie on July 19, 1969, and together they brought up Mr. Daniell's three children, along with Elena's daughter Breena and son Clifford. The five children were all within five years in age.

The son of Warren Fisher and Mary (Holway) Daniell, Mr. Daniell was born on November 28, 1932, in Millinocket, Maine. He was graduated from Stearns High School, where he was valedictorian, and Phillips Exeter Academy before matriculating at Dartmouth, from where he graduated in 1955. After serving as a navigator in the United States Navy between 1955 and 1958, he received a Master of Arts in history from Harvard University in 1962 and a Doctor of Philosophy in history from Harvard in 1964. While in graduate school, Jere spent his summers as the head tutor at Deerfield Academy.

Mr. Daniell was the fourth of six children. Much of the family's recreation involved outdoor activities such as hiking, swimming, skiing, and fishing. While at Stearns, Mr. Daniell played basketball and captained the football team. And at home, Mr. Daniell willingly held his own while participating in board games and other activities. Monopoly was a favorite. During vacation from high school, Mr. Daniell worked at the Great Northern Paper Company, where his father was Chief Engineer, and as a lumberjack and log driver.

Along with Elena and their five children, Mr. Daniell is survived by his brother Warren, his sisters Sue and Betsy and two grandsons, Owen and Brandon.

A celebration of Mr. Daniell's life is planned for 1 p.m. on July 30, 2022, at Dowds' Country Inn, 9 Main Street, Lyme, NH. While all are welcome, RSVPs are appreciated at celebratejere@gmail.com.

To leave a message of remembrance or condolence, please visit the online guestbook at www.rickerfuneralhome.com.