Alex Oldham, History Teacher Of The Year
Dr. Alex Oldham, adjunct professor at Cleveland State Community College, was named the 2024 Tennessee History Teacher of the Year by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. This award recognizes and honors exceptional teachers from elementary through high school for their outstanding contributions to history education.
A history teacher for more than 15 years, Oldham is a third-generation teacher. His father was a
principal and a history teacher; his mother taught first grade, and his grandfather was a principal
and teacher as well.
A Lee University graduate, Oldham planned to attend law school after college. When he graduated, it was December; his father asked him to take an interim teaching position at Gallatin High School just until summer. He took the job and never stopped teaching.
Oldham went on to earn a master’s degree from Western Kentucky University and a doctorate
from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Now, he teaches history at Maryville High School
along with his Cleveland State adjunct classes in Early U.S. History and Modern U.S. History.
"It'ss great to see Alex Oldham recognized for what many of our students at Cleveland State
already know, he is an outstanding history instructor,” said Dr. Ryan Thompson, Dean of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences. “Through the online classes he teaches, Alex does a fantastic job making history come alive and helping students see the connections between the present and the past. We're very proud of Alex for being awarded such a prestigious honor."
While Oldham was in college, there was a period of time when he came home and took classes at
Volunteer State Community College in Gallatin, Tennessee. He wasn’t sure what he wanted to do with his life. He was impacted by a history professor and a philosophy professor as well as the smaller class sizes and diversity of students at the community college.
“It is more important than ever that we support our community colleges so that we can advance
our economy even more in Tennessee,” said Oldham. “Community colleges help students who
sometimes just fall through the cracks or don’t have the ability or privilege to go the traditional
college route. Community college professors really care about the success of their students. I am
very thankful for Cleveland State. There are good people at the college, and I appreciate working
with them.”
After being named the Tennessee History Teacher of the Year, Oldham was selected as one of
ten finalists for the National Teacher of the Year Award.
Founded in 1994 by Richard Gilder and Lewis E. Lehrman, lifelong supporters of American history education, the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History is a leading nonprofit organization dedicated to K–12 history education while also serving the general public. The Institute’s mission is to promote the knowledge and understanding of American history through educational programs and resources.
“The award means that I’ve been acknowledged for the amount of time and effort that I’ve put into my students,” said Oldham. “That’s the thing that has meant the most. I am doing something right; I am doing something that is fulfilling to me, but at the same time, I guess that I am doing it in a good way. That means a lot to me.”