Faculty Snapshot: David Grettler
Dr. David Grettler is a history professor in the College of Arts and Sciences at NSU. Originally from Erie, Pa., Grettler was a historical archaeologist at the University of Delaware for 15 years before he became a professor at Northern.
Grettler graduated from PSU with a bachelor’s degree in history, attending his first field school for archeology in 1980.
“Doing archeology was fun—getting to dig up artifacts from the Revolutionary War all along the east coast,” he said. “But it was a tough job—dealing with construction deadlines and having to lay off field crew that felt like family.”
That’s when he went back to school at the University of Delaware for his Ph.D. in American history with fields in geography and historical archaeology. Grettler also completed a graduate certificate in Museum Studies.
“Northern was the first tenure-track teaching job I was offered, so my wife and I headed west.”
This position gave him the chance to teach in multiple fields: history, geography and museum studies.
At NSU, he hopes to change the minds of students that “hate” history, and show them that history can be interesting. He also enjoys receiving emails from students telling how “they remembered something from his class” and how it helped them.
Biographies and Hunter Gatherer Hobbies
Besides his teaching work, Grettler likes to write biographies for historical figures such as James King, the last Dakota Indian Scout at Fort Sisseton. His biography outlines King’s long life, spanning from 1845 to 1946, in which King worked as a scout and a missionary.
Grettler also published a biography on Nora Staael Evert, a Northern graduate from the 1920s who majored in dance and physical education. After graduating, she went on to become a pioneer in physical therapy.
Grettler describes himself as “a blue-collar guy that can work hard,” but still enjoys engaging in “food sport” during his free time.
“I have always enjoyed the hunter-gatherer hobbies. I love fishing, hunting,and I am a great short-order cook,” he said. “But, I recently found that I am also a great gardener.”
Grettler hopes to finish his biography on James King on his sabbatical.