Historians
Pittman, Philip McMillan
April 6, 1941 - April 20, 2007
Place of Birth: Detroit, MI
Place of Principle Residence: Cedarville, MI
Biography:
Philip McMillan Pittman was born to Sally and Lansing Pittman in Detroit, MI. In 1963, Pittman graduated with an A.B. in English literature, and a Ph.D. in English literature from Vanderbilt University in 1967. Between 1967 and 1968 Pittman worked as an assistant professor of English at the University of Victoria, and then as an associate professor at Marshall University from 1968 – 1980. Upon his retirement, Pittman moved to Cedarville, MI with his wife, Margaret, and became an author, editor, publisher, and historian. He was actively involved in his community, and published several books on his historical research, including Don’t Blame the Treaties: Native American Rights and the Michigan Indian Treaties. He died on April 20, 2007, survived by his wife and three children: Philip McMillan III, Mary Christine, and Noel.
Selected Works:
- Fishing the King Salmon in Michigan’s Northern Waters (1992)
- The Portrayal of Life Stages in English Literature (1989)
- The Les Cheneaux Chronicles: Anatomy of a Community (1984)
Awards:
- AASLH Award, 1986
Critical Reception:
Pittman was the recipient of the AASLH Award, and was included in several biographical books.
Relevance of Place to Author’s Work:
Pittman was actively involved in his community, serving as president of the Les Cheneaux Historical Association, member of Les Cheneaux Islands Association, and board member of Little Travers Conservancy. He used his retirement and involvement in local historical activities to pursue a career as a historian, publishing his research.
Plano, Jack C.
November 25, 1921 - November 21, 2002
Place of Birth: Merrill, WI
Place of Principle Residence: Kalamazoo, MI
Biography:
Jack C. Plano was born to Minna and Victor Plano in Merrill, WI. He received business training at Merrill Community College in 1940, and joined the US Army in the Corps of Engineers. Plano left the army in 1945 and earned his BA at Ripon College in 1949. In 1950 and 1954 he earned his MA and PhD consecutively in international relations. From 1953 to 1987 he served as a professor in the Political Science department at Western Michigan University, teaching courses in international relations, international organization, and American foreign policy on both undergraduate and graduate levels. In 1962 he co-authored a new type of encyclopedia-dictionary, The American Political Dictionary that has been widely adopted as a supplemental text for basic courses in American government. By the time of Plano’s death, the book had gone through eleven editions. Due to the success of his first dictionary, Plano co-authored a series of political dictionaries with his colleagues and in 1980 was chosen as the series editor for ABC-Clio Dictionaries in Political Science. Plano covered topics relating to international relations, political science, political analysis, Latin America, and Soviet and East European governments and politics. In 1971, Plano was invited to the University of Sussex to lecture and do research, and in addition he presented papers on sea pollution and seabed problems for the Institute for the Study of International Organization. He has published a number of monographs, and in 1974 founded the New Issues Press of Western Michigan University and served as its press-managing editor until his retirement. Plano received several awards, including the first ever recipient of the Outstanding Emeritus Scholar Award at Western Michigan University. During his retirement ,Plano published a series of memoirs relating to his life experience. He died in 2007 and was survived by his wife, Ellen, and his children Jay, Gregory, and Vicki.
Selected Works:
- American Political Dictionary (1962)
- Latin America Political Dictionary (1980)
- United Nations (1988)
Awards:
- 1997 Outstanding emeritus Scholar Award-Western Michigan University
- 1981 Phi Beta Kappa - Ripon College
- 1981 Hubert Herring Award for Best Reference Book on Latin America
- 1997 Outstanding Emeritus Scholar Award at Western Michigan University
Critical Reception:
Plano’s first book, The American Political Dictionary, is still used in classrooms across the U.S. as a basic supplemental text in American Government. He has received several awards for his work, including the Hubert Herring Award for Best Reference Book on Latin America.
Relevance of Place to Author’s Work:
Plano taught at Western Michigan University for thirty-five years where he taught and pursued his research on political science. He co-authored several dictionaries/encyclopedias on a variety of topics with his colleagues. During his retirement he published several memoirs on his experience as an educator.
Porter, Phil
January 29, 1953 -
Place of Birth: Grosse Pointe, MI
Place of Principle Residence: Cheboygan, MI
Biography:
Phil Porter was born to Lorone and William Porter in Grosse Pointe, MI. During his youth, Porter and his family spent summers at their home on Mackinac Island where Porter’s life-long interest in the region began. During his summers at college, he worked as a uniformed guide at Fort Mackinac. In 1974, Porter graduated from Kenyon College with a BA, and in 1975 he graduated from the State University of New York with a Masters in History Museum studies. Porter has worked for the Mackinac Island State Park for over thirty-one years, serving as a curator of collections, curator of interpretation, and most recently was appointed director of the Mackinac Island State Park. He is considered an authority on the history of the Mackinac region and has published several books on the subject. In addition, Porter serves on the board of trustees of the Michigan Museums Association and the City of Cheboygan Historic Resources Commission. Porter lives in Cheboygan, MI and has five children: William, Joseph, Susanna, Katherine, and Elizabeth.
Selected Works:
- The Eagle at Mackinac, the Establishment of United States Military and Civilian Authority on Mackinac Island, 1796-1802 (1991)
- View From the Veranda, the History and Architecture of the Summer Cottages on Mackinac Island (1981)
Critical Reception:
Porter is considered the authority on the history of Mackinac Island, and has received attention for his books on the subject.
Relevance of Place to Author’s Work:
Most of Porter’s life has been spent on Mackinac Island. Ever since a young boy he has involved himself in the region, and for over thirty years has worked for the Mackinac Island State Park. All of his work is revolved around the history of Mackinac Island.
Raphael, Lev
May 19, 1954 –
Place of Birth: New York, New York
Place of Principle Residence: Okemos, MI
Biography:
The son of two Holocaust survivors, Lev Raphael grew up in New York, New York surrounded by Jewish culture and his parent’s tragic past. Raphael later described his childhood experience as one being a constant fear of saying the wrong thing and sparking a horrible memory for his parents. A self-proclaimed bookworm, Raphael devoured books as a child, partly as a way to escape into different worlds. In college he was encouraged to pursue writing, which became an outlet for him to express his knowledge and experience with the Holocaust. He published his first short story about children of Holocaust survivors in 1978. Since then Raphael has written seventeen books, many of which explore the Holocaust and its effects. He earned an M.F.A. at the University of Massachusetts 1978 and a Ph.D. at Michigan State University in 1986. After getting his doctorate, Raphael worked as an assistant professor of American Thought and Language and Michigan State for two years before retiring to be a full time writer.
Selected Works:
- Dancing on Tisha B’Av (1990)
- Edith Wharton’s Prisoners of Shame (1991)
- Winter Eyes (1992)
- Journeys & Arrivals (1996)
- The German Money (2003)
Awards:
- 1990 Lambda Literary Award
- 1978 Harvey Swados Fiction Prize
- Reed Smith Fiction Prize, Amelia Magazine
- International Quarterly’s Crossing Boundaries Prize
Critical Reception:
Raphael has won several awards for his work, including the Lambda Literary Award for Dancing on Tisha B’Av. For his book German Money Raphael received rave reviews.
“What a gift for a writer to be able to sustain unflagging, sweaty-palm suspense in a novel almost through character alone. This is what the prodigious Lev Raphael pulls off in The German Money, a mystery whose shocking denouement is so organic to the whole thing that it feels as if a boiling volcano has finally let loose.”
-The Washington Post Book World
“Raphael applies his talents as a suspense writer to this unconventional Holocaust novel… The sharpness of the family portrait and the appeal of the romantic subplot make this an engaging read.”
-Publishers Weekly
Relevance of Place to Author’s Work:
Raphael attributes his move to Michigan (to get his Ph.D. at Michigan State) as an experience that brought out his enthusiasm for his Jewish heritage. According to Raphael, in New York he was simply one of the crowd, but in Michigan, a decidedly non-Jewish environment, he felt himself more tied to his roots. Before moving to Michigan, Raphael experienced a five to six year period of frustration, being unable to get anything published. This helped him again publish his work in Jewish magazines and his book Dancing on Tisha B’Av.
Rydholm, (Charles) Fred
1924—
Place of Birth: Marquette, MI
Place of Principal Residence: Marquette, MI
Biography
Fred Rydholm was born to Louise and Eber Rydholm on March 11, 1924 in Marquette, MI. He spent several years in the U.S. Navy during World War II and graduated with an A.B. degree fro Albion College in 1948. Rydholm has devoted most of his life to teaching, working at Republic High School, Vermontville Rural Agriculture Schools, and Marquette Public schools, respectively. Besides having taught for over thirty years, Rydholm is a noted author of Michigan History, writing a history of Marquette, MI with his book Superior Heartland, A Backwoods History. He is actively involved in his community, serving three terms as mayor and city commissioner in Marquette, as well as being on county and state Boards and Commissions. Rydholm continues to live and write in Marquette and has two children, Frederick and Danial.
Selected Works
- Superior Heartland, A Backwoods History (1989)
- Mystery Cave of Many Faces (1991)
- Michigan Copper: The Untold Story (2006)
Awards
- 1941 Louis G. Kaufman Character Award, Marquette High School
- 1959 Outstanding Young Man of the Year Award, City of Marquette, MI
- 1989 Citizen of the Year, Marquette Chamber of Commerce
- 1989 Helen Longyear Paul Memorial Award, Marquette County Historical Society
- 1990 Award of Merit, Historical Society of Michigan
- 1995 Victor Mosely Award - Midwestern Epigraphic Society, Columbus, Ohio
- 1999 “Outstanding Writer/Historian” 3rd Annual Marquette Arts Award
Relevance of Place to Author’s Work
Besides being intensely involved in his community, Rydholm has dedicated his writing to Michigan history. During his childhood, he developed a deeply rooted love for his state through activities like following his grandfather to logging camps and retreats in the Upper Peninsula, working in a local camp, and serving as a guide at the Huron Mountain Club.