Instructor Profile - William Davidshofer
William Davidshofer, Ph.D.
Meet William Davidshofer,Ph.D. - by Barbara McLean. October 2017.
If you combine keen intellect with the intensity and excitement of learning, you have just a peek into the mind and life of Dr. William Davidshofer, an OLLI professor since 2011. With clarity and enthusiasm William describes his life of learning and exploration as a student and professor of Political Science. Soviet Studies has been his dominant interest, although he has taught American Government and a multitude of other political science courses at OLLI and at the University of Maine at Presque Isle. Professor Davidshofer taught at the University of Maine at Presque Isle for some 40 years where he is now a Professor Emeritus.
Professor Davidshofer hails from Iowa. After graduating from Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, as an American History major he then went on to Notre Dame University and received his Ph.D. in Political Science, specializing in Soviet Studies. For 15 months he attended an immersion program at the University of Kansas to learn the Russian language, and, after “living and eating and sleeping Russian,” he became fluent. His Ph.D. dissertation on the relationship between the Soviet Communist Party and the French Communist Party was done in Paris, France, where at the Fondation Nationale des Sciences Politques, William spent 15 months using their research facilities and in the process of his research also became a specialist on French politics.
Additionally, a grant also allowed him to directly study the operational workings of the European Union. Dr. Davidshofer has written a book entitled Marxism and the Leninist Revolutionary Model, published by Palgrave Macmillan in 2014. This book explores Marxist and Leninist revolutionary theory. Topics include: the philosophical dialectic, historical materialism, the European political revolutionary movement, and Communist cadre political rule in the Soviet socialist state. Dr. Davidshofer relates that “communist ideology is not easy to understand; so when my students seemed to benefit from my notes more than the assigned text, I wrote the book.” Many critics have commented on the readability of his book which is pitched at an undergraduate level. Relating to his comparative analysis of the Soviet and French Communist Parties, Dr. Davidshofer has also published on the topic of “Eurocommunism”, treating the divergence between the later ideological divergence between the French and Soviet Communist Parties.
Dr. Davidshofer has also shared his knowledge with State Department officials in the Scholar Diplomat Program. Preparing for his OLLI classes often takes Dr. Davidshofer several days as he creates full coverage notes for the students for each class. He describes his OLLI students as interested and accomplished in their own fields. He tells his students that “there are many Russian historical foundations that underlie a certain historical continuity between Tsarist rule, Soviet rule, and the present Putin government.” Likewise, Soviet socialism must be understood in the context of a large-scale socialist movement in Europe that was never a significant element in American economic-political mindset.
Dr. Davidshofer was able to complete much of the research for his publication from his own sets of the works of Karl Marx and V.I. Lenin, but he was also grateful for the additional access to the Duke University Library. Dr. Davidshofer notes that during the Cold War there was a great deal of federal funds for Russian and East European Studies. But they tended to dry up after the fall of the Soviet Union. Now, however, there is resurgence of high interest and greater funding for Russian and East European Studies. This is especially important because such a resurgence of Russian and East European Studies provides a greater in-depth understanding of Russian and East European political behavior beyond just the factual reporting of the popular press.
When asked what he does for fun, the Professor said that he has an abiding interest in the study of philosophy, especially as it is related to Political Philosophy and the Philosophy of Religion.
He adds that his youngest daughter has a Ph.D. in philosophy and teaches at High Point University. Additionally, his older daughter has a Ph.D. in biochemistry and works as a Lecturer at the Cancer Research Center at the University of Virginia. And his son has a Master’s Degree in Political Science and works in the Grants Administration at the University of Kentucky. Finally, his wife, Claire, who grew up in France, has a Master’s Degree in French and teaches French language and civilization courses at OLLI. “We are an academic family he says with a smile.” A young grandson in Charlottesville now also takes the academic couple traveling often.
Dr. Davidshofer and his wife Claire, who also taught at the University of Maine at Presque Isle, bring a great deal of insight to student wants and needs to make learning a real adventure. Both bring the art of their teaching craft to enrich the OLLI curriculum and learning experience. OLLI students who take William or Claire’s classes can expect excellence in the classroom and truly exciting learning experience.
If you combine keen intellect with the intensity and excitement of learning, you have just a peek into the mind and life of Dr. William Davidshofer, an OLLI professor since 2011. With clarity and enthusiasm William describes his life of learning and exploration as a student and professor of Political Science. Soviet Studies has been his dominant interest, although he has taught American Government and a multitude of other political science courses at OLLI and at the University of Maine at Presque Isle. Professor Davidshofer taught at the University of Maine at Presque Isle for some 40 years where he is now a Professor Emeritus.
Professor Davidshofer hails from Iowa. After graduating from Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, as an American History major he then went on to Notre Dame University and received his Ph.D. in Political Science, specializing in Soviet Studies. For 15 months he attended an immersion program at the University of Kansas to learn the Russian language, and, after “living and eating and sleeping Russian,” he became fluent. His Ph.D. dissertation on the relationship between the Soviet Communist Party and the French Communist Party was done in Paris, France, where at the Fondation Nationale des Sciences Politques, William spent 15 months using their research facilities and in the process of his research also became a specialist on French politics.
Additionally, a grant also allowed him to directly study the operational workings of the European Union. Dr. Davidshofer has written a book entitled Marxism and the Leninist Revolutionary Model, published by Palgrave Macmillan in 2014. This book explores Marxist and Leninist revolutionary theory. Topics include: the philosophical dialectic, historical materialism, the European political revolutionary movement, and Communist cadre political rule in the Soviet socialist state. Dr. Davidshofer relates that “communist ideology is not easy to understand; so when my students seemed to benefit from my notes more than the assigned text, I wrote the book.” Many critics have commented on the readability of his book which is pitched at an undergraduate level. Relating to his comparative analysis of the Soviet and French Communist Parties, Dr. Davidshofer has also published on the topic of “Eurocommunism”, treating the divergence between the later ideological divergence between the French and Soviet Communist Parties.
Dr. Davidshofer has also shared his knowledge with State Department officials in the Scholar Diplomat Program. Preparing for his OLLI classes often takes Dr. Davidshofer several days as he creates full coverage notes for the students for each class. He describes his OLLI students as interested and accomplished in their own fields. He tells his students that “there are many Russian historical foundations that underlie a certain historical continuity between Tsarist rule, Soviet rule, and the present Putin government.” Likewise, Soviet socialism must be understood in the context of a large-scale socialist movement in Europe that was never a significant element in American economic-political mindset.
Dr. Davidshofer was able to complete much of the research for his publication from his own sets of the works of Karl Marx and V.I. Lenin, but he was also grateful for the additional access to the Duke University Library. Dr. Davidshofer notes that during the Cold War there was a great deal of federal funds for Russian and East European Studies. But they tended to dry up after the fall of the Soviet Union. Now, however, there is resurgence of high interest and greater funding for Russian and East European Studies. This is especially important because such a resurgence of Russian and East European Studies provides a greater in-depth understanding of Russian and East European political behavior beyond just the factual reporting of the popular press.
When asked what he does for fun, the Professor said that he has an abiding interest in the study of philosophy, especially as it is related to Political Philosophy and the Philosophy of Religion.
He adds that his youngest daughter has a Ph.D. in philosophy and teaches at High Point University. Additionally, his older daughter has a Ph.D. in biochemistry and works as a Lecturer at the Cancer Research Center at the University of Virginia. And his son has a Master’s Degree in Political Science and works in the Grants Administration at the University of Kentucky. Finally, his wife, Claire, who grew up in France, has a Master’s Degree in French and teaches French language and civilization courses at OLLI. “We are an academic family he says with a smile.” A young grandson in Charlottesville now also takes the academic couple traveling often.
Dr. Davidshofer and his wife Claire, who also taught at the University of Maine at Presque Isle, bring a great deal of insight to student wants and needs to make learning a real adventure. Both bring the art of their teaching craft to enrich the OLLI curriculum and learning experience. OLLI students who take William or Claire’s classes can expect excellence in the classroom and truly exciting learning experience.
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