and his classmates. Courtesy | Tom Connor
Retirement is not the end of the road, it is the beginning of the open highway—a popular, unattributed quote reads. For Tom Conner, recently retired professor of history, this open highway turned out to be a quite familiar, well-traversed one.
After officially retiring in August from 37 years as chair of military history at Hillsdale College, Conner—known across campus as “Doc”— is back to teach a final section of his revered “World Wars” course. The beloved professor is attempting a more conventional end to his tenure, far from the outcome of his scheduled finale in Spring 2020.
“I just had an itch to make another run at ending my teaching career normally,” Conner said. “Nothing was normal about spring semester a year ago.”
Conner concluded his career by sending lectures in email attachments and holding office hours over the phone. The decision to attempt his departure again “was always in the back of my mind” throughout the virtual learning months, he said.
In the months after retirement, Conner’s plans for this season of life didn’t come to fruition. For a man who has completed between 50 and 60 round trips to Europe, Conner was highly anticipating traveling in the new chapter.
“I had hoped to travel spontaneously,” he said. “If I woke up some morning and decided I wanted to go visit a historical site two or three hours away, I’d just go.”
Conner’s list also included attending operas, watching musicals, and visiting friends. “None of that was possible,” he said.
The eight months between wrapping up virtual classes and beginning his course this semester did, however, hold one riveting event: delivering the 2020 commencement address on July 18.
“It was the thrill of a lifetime,” Conner said, reflecting on the event that drew around 90% of graduates and hundreds of visitors. “It was amazing.”
When the original speaker could not attend the rescheduled ceremony, President of Hillsdale College Larry Arnn invited Conner to impart wisdom on the graduates before venturing into the world.
“I immediately agreed—it was a huge honor,” Conner said.
In the weeks after the ceremony, Conner was left waiting for the world to reopen and stuck reflecting on his less-than-stellar last semester. It made sense to get behind the lectern again.
What made the decision even easier was the faculty’s access to vaccines in January.
“Because I was down for a class, I was able to get both shots,” he said. “Being vaccinated took a lot of that fear right out of the picture.”
Conner is teaching the course Wednesday evenings and the students who show up to Lane 125 each week to hear his “war stories” are grateful for the opportunity—one they thought had passed them by just months ago.
“I had heard about the class for years from students and alumni and I knew I had to take it,” junior David Strobach said. “I’m very grateful that Doc came back to teach this class.”
Having never taken a class with Doc before, junior Ethan Buehrer said it didn’t take long until it was “made clear why he is so beloved by the students here.”
“It’s one of the most interesting and engaging classes I’ve taken at Hillsdale, and Doc Conner’s passion and knowledge for the class shows in every lecture,” he said.
Junior Brennan Nokelby took Conner last spring and is grateful to learn from him in-person this time around.
“Dr. Connor’s clever humor, extensive knowledge, and genuine care for each student exemplifies what a professor should be,” Nokelby said. “We are going to miss him when he leaves.”
When May comes around, Conner will end his teaching career and be replaced by three new faculty members—including two military historians. Conner humbly says the new professors will bring a “quality and a breadth to the military history courses that will be well beyond anything that I was able to do.”
And with restrictions easing and vaccinations becoming widespread, perhaps Conner will finally be able to appease his appetite for travel.
“Ideally I’d be on a plane for Europe,” Conner said when asked where he’d like to be after finishing the semester.
With eyes set on Canada, England, Ireland, and other countries, the professor has plenty of places in mind.
For now, Conner will continue bestowing knowledge of the World Wars to students every Wednesday.
“I’m quite certain this will be the last teaching I do at the College,” he said. “But it’s been fun, doing it one last time.”