Dr. Duke Richey, the Sen. Howard H. Baker Jr. Chair of American History at McCallie School, has been named the 2021 Tennessee History Teacher of the Year, an award presented annually by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, the nation’s leading organization dedicated to K-12 American history education.
He is now one of 53 history teachers nationwide who will be considered for the National History Teacher of the Year award that will be announced later this year.
The History Teacher of the Year Award highlights the crucial importance of history education by honoring exceptional American history teachers from elementary school through high school. The award honors one K-12 teacher from each state, the District of Columbia, Department of Defense schools and US Territories.
Dr. Richey joined the McCallie faculty in 2010 and teaches Advanced Placement U.S. History. He was nominated for the award by History Department Chair Randy Odle. “In his 11 years on our faculty, Duke has set a professional standard for the entire school with his sharp intellect, his academic curiosity, his unbounded energy, and his ability to instill the joy of learning in every student he teaches,” said Lee Burns ’87, Head of School. “This is one of many awards that Duke has received that recognizes the great job he does day-in and day-out in educating the leaders of the next generation.”
Dr. Richey is a 1986 graduate of McCallie. In addition to his teaching duties, he is director of McCallie’s CLC (Character, Leadership, and Community) summer camp program, is dorm head of Founders Home, and coaches cross country and track. He has been a Table Reader (grader) for the national Advanced Placement U.S. History exams for the past 11 years.
He received his B.A. from the University of the South, M.S. and M.A. from the University of Montana, and Ph.D. from the University of Colorado. Prior to joining the McCallie faculty, he was an Outward Bound instructor and taught history at Whitman College, Pacific Lutheran University, and the University of North Texas.
In selecting the state winners, the Glider Lehrman Institute judges used three criteria:
*Leadership in the field of American History;
*Creativity and imagination in the classroom;
*Effective uses of primary sources.
Each state winner receives a $1,000 prize. The national winner will receive $10,000.
The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History is the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to K–12 history education while also serving the general public. Its mission is to promote the knowledge and understanding of American history through educational programs and resources.