Episode 10 - Jason Dawsey
In the tenth episode of "History Exchange," Jason Dawsey discusses his career path as an academic historian and as a historian in public service for the "US Defense Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Accounting Agency," as well as current societal phenomena.
Dr. Jason Dawsey joined The National WWII Museum in September 2017 as a Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) Special Projects Historian, investigating what happened to hundreds of American POWs in German captivity whose remains were never recovered. Since January 2019, he has worked at the Jenny Craig Institute for the Study of War and Democracy as a Research Historian. Dr. Dawsey received his PhD from the University of Chicago in 2013 and has taught world history and European history at Pearl River Community College, the University of Chicago, the University of Southern Mississippi, and the University of Tennessee-Knoxville.
At the Jenny Craig Institute, Dawsey examines the service records of WWII veterans and writes their biographies for family members. He also regularly contributes to the Museum’s website and public programming on subjects such as the anti-Nazi resistance, the Holocaust, and the lives and careers of scholars who have shaped our understanding of World War II. Beyond his research on World War II, Dawsey co-edited (with Günter Bischof and Bernhard Fetz) The Life and Work of Günther Anders: Émigré, Iconoclast, Philosopher, Man of Letters (Studien Verlag, 2015) and has authored several articles and book chapters on the philosophical and political thought of Günther Anders.
In this interview, Dawsey discusses with both Adam and Hunter his relationship with Dr. Bischof, which began over a decade ago over shared beers and muffulettas in the French Quarter. While reminiscing about old times, the trio explores current topics and issues in our world today. Within this episode, Dawsey also discusses his transition from working primarily as an academic historian to the field of public history, his meaningful work supporting the mission of DPAA, and the role of technology in the craft of the historian.
Interviewer:
Adam Coste is a second-year history master’s program student at the University of New Orleans. His research focuses on twentieth century American military history.
Hunter Dupepe is an undergraduate student majoring in history at the University of New Orleans.