John Avery Dittmer

The Harger family only today learned of John's death, and are so sad to know that this dear Mississippi friend is gone, and missing from the lives of Ellen, Julie and David. We send much love to the Dittmer family and friends. He was a wonderful neighbor, friend, and historian. As is attested by all the comments below his passing is felt in the hearts of so many. Sending lots of love from the Pacific NW.

John was a wonderful guy. He always was sincerely interested in my activities/work at DPU (career services and tennis) and we had a # of wonderful conversations. I enjoyed being around him immensely. I loved his enthusiasm.
Sorry to learn of his passing and my best to the family.

My sincere condolences to John's family. A model historian and person of integrity, I am happy to have known and learned from him. Rest In Power.

I am very sorry to see the news of Dr. Dittmer's passing. I was a student in his Recent Amercian History course in the Fall, 1989 semester. He was a wonderful professor - so knowledgeable, but also so willing to work closely with his students to convey his passion for the subject matter. It was one of my most memorable and impactful classes at DePauw. Made possible by a great guy who truly cared about his students. My deepest condolences.

There are few people who have had a more profound effect on my than did John. He changed the trajectory of my life. In 1988, four of his seminar students decided to jump into a car and attend the SNCC Conference at Trinity College in Hartford, CT. It was amazing for young people to mingle with people whom they only knew in the pages of books. We held hands, we sang freedom songs, we listened to panels, we watched a group of people, many of whom hadn't seen each other in years, reconnect. John gave us that. A few years ago, he wrote, "I've been thinking some about our get together, and how much I enjoyed it. Thanks for making it happen. I've also reminisced some about the Trinity Conference. How I got the title for my book: 'Hollis Watkins, standing up in that crowd of stars--Stokely, Julian--and saying, 'My name is Hollis Watkins, from McComb, Mississippi. I'm one of the local people.'" John was a fabulous historian, mentor, and friend. I will miss him. My condolences to Ellen and family.--Ron Gifford

John was my advisor at DePauw as well as my instructor for several classes. I loved taking classes with him and enjoyed our conversations. His passion talking about Freedom Summer and the struggles across the South had a significant impact on how I view history and America. I will be forever grateful to him. He had a gift for helping students see the big picture but also made history feel alive and personal.

During much of my family's time in Mississippi John was a friend, neighbor, and fellow participant in efforts to take the good in Mississippi, expand it, and try to diminish the bad. It was interesting to put it mildly. Ellen and my wife Judy were compatriots in their own efforts. Our kids attended the Alternative School in the old (Jefferson) Davis school building which is now named the Barack Obama School. And John produced the definitive Movement history book, which is no small feat.

I did not have the opportunity to know John for a very long time. But he always wore a smile and worked to his upmost capability at the fitness club. He will be missed. May God Bless Ellen and his family. Larry Gottschalk

My condolences to Ellen and the family. John was my colleague, friend, and tennis buddy during the 1970s. We played in the summer heat and he always won.

At Tougaloo College in the late 1960s, a time of anxiety and occasional danger, with a faculty of whom many, myself included, were new to teaching, to the South, to strongly interracial working and social relationships, or to all three, John and Ellen were rock solid models of common sense, commitment, consideration, and courage. Faced, on about an hour's notice, with a new leadership role at Tougaloo, John helped all of us, the students included, to cope, and helped us to prepare for new aspects of the life of the college, perfectly aware that emergencies were likely, and determined that serious college work would continue. He was among those who saw to it that the college itself would survive. Years later, in mentioning a conversation among several faculty members from those years, he said that they had been "war stories." Exactly. Phil O'Mara, with heartfelt sympathy to all of his family.

Discussion with him about "Local People". Condolences to wife and. family.
Charlie Cobb

So lucky to know John, and you, too, Ellen. Thank you for sharing. Love from Fletcher and Carol Cox.