Ellington

An elderly man sits in the history department meeting room with a cane, an inkpot and a fountain-tip pen on the table. He seems the very image of history itself.

But then a transformation takes place.

As Jon Bridgman, a 79-year-old professor emeritus in the history department, rises from his chair to firmly shake hands, it becomes apparent that the seemingly elderly man is really a young person in disguise. His face lights up. His voice sounds like a smile, and then he laughs.

Bridgman likes — loves — history. Although officially retired, Bridgman is still able to teach a light load of classes because of his emeritus status. He is now in his 48th year of teaching at the UW.

After getting his undergraduate degree at Stanford, Bridgman worked as a gunnery officer in the U.S. Navy near the end of the Korean War. Although the professor has a fondness for studying war, in real life, the peacetime Navy was not that exciting.

“I find out that it was not all it was cracked up to be,” Bridgman said, laughing.

After his time in the Navy, he returned to Stanford, received his doctorate in 1961 and has taught at the UW since.

He refers to himself as one of the history department’s generalists. Although he shows a keen interest in the world wars, anything historical captures his attention. He has lectured on ancient, medieval and modern history and has taught about 22 courses during the span of his teaching career.

Bridgman’s many years in the teaching field have garnered a respectful following.

Professor Kent Guy, who is also chair of the history department, said Bridgman is a great lecturer because he spends so much time in the library.

“He devotes an enormous amount of energy to giving his lectures and in preparation,” Guy said.

Guy said he still has conversations with alumni about Bridgman’s lectures.

UW alumnus Steve Crown was an undergraduate in the 1970s and had Bridgman as a professor. When his son Nick began his studies at the UW, Crown recommended he take a course with Bridgman.

“He is somebody who made stories come to life with an academic vigor,” Crown said.

Bridgman’s appeal to his former and current students is embedded within his teaching style.

Nick Crown, an Italian studies and history major, has now taken two courses with Bridgman.

“To describe a lecture in one word would be ‘captivating,’” Nick Crown said. “You want to come back the next day and hear him tell the story even though it is history and you already know the outcome.”

Bridgman denies any real knack for teaching; however, 40 years of students and colleagues might disagree.

“Lots of students come and request him as a teacher, regardless of what he is teaching,” said Cassie Bermel, an office assistant in the history department.

Each of the professor’s classes is unique, said Nick Crown. “He never does the same lecture twice.”

With such an incredible amount of knowledge, every moment is an opportunity for digression to another historical event or character.

The professor explains his spontaneous lectures as a result of having difficulty reading his own handwriting.

“I couldn’t read my notes anyway,” Bridgman said, chuckling. “But I would get bored with my lectures.”

When asked why he still teaches, one would expect Bridgman to give a profound answer about inspiring a younger generation. While he does want people to understand that everything is more complex than it initially seems, he also said he simply loves learning.

When the professor describes why he likes history, he draws on a quote from a French play-turned-film called La Ronde.

“‘I adore the past,’” Bridgman recited, “‘It is so much more restful than the present and so much more reliable than the future.’”

Bridgman remembers a particular moment, at the beginning of World War II, that helped him develop a love for the past.

It was after Germany invaded Poland, and Adolf Hitler gave a speech to the Reichstag, the German parliament. “My father woke both my brother and I up to hear the speech,” Bridgman said. “He thought we should have that moment imprinted on our memories.”

Bridgman said that knowing history gives one an edge in predicting the future. While skimming through old Time magazines as he researched for a short lecture series on the Great Depression, he realized the uncertainty for those people who lived during the 1920s and ’30s.

“It is wonderful because I know what is going to happen,” Bridgman said. “But the people that were reading these articles had no idea what was going to happen.”

Bridgman said history repeats itself time and time again. The Great Depression and the current economic climate are examples of this. Many are drawing upon the lessons learned in the 1930s to make decisions now.

“You need to know your past,” he said. “All your decisions and how you view the world are based on your prior experiences.”

When asked to pick a favorite moment or character from the pages of history, the professor said it would be difficult, but whatever historical period he is teaching at the given time would be his favorite.

“Periods I know nothing about, like Chinese history, I am sure I would be equally interested in if I knew something about them,” Bridgman said. “I just don’t know anything about them.”

After 48 years, the professor has no intention of ending his teaching career anytime soon. This historical treasure will continue to captivate students, old and young, no doubt continuing to learn as much from his lectures as those in his classroom.

“If I was not teaching,” Bridgman said, “I would still go in most days to the library anyway.”

Reach contributing writer Serena Solomon at development@dailyuw.com.