Local

PSC Professor Writes Book about Race Relations


Chicago Heights, IL—(ENEWSPF)— It’s not often you find someone able to combine a passion with a career. But in Dr. Leslie Tischauser’s case, that is exactly what he has done. Tischauser, a history professor at Prairie State College, also is the author of four history books tracing racial issues in the United States. Throughout his career, his love of history is shared with his students and with others through his books.

His most recent book, Race Relations in the United States, 1920-1940, was recently published by Greenwood Press as part of a series on race relations. The book details racial tensions from the 1920s through the 1940s. Tischauser said the book examines some of the difficult conditions that ethnic groups in the United States faced including the hardships of Germans, Hispanics, Asians, and American Indians.

“There are stories that cover everything from lynching on Indian reservations to the beginning of the Harlem Renaissance,” he said.

Tischauser’s love of history started in high school. While he was at Wright College, he appreciated the enthusiasm of his community college professors, and decided to pursue academia as a way to share his passion for history. He has been a history professor at Prairie State College since 1982.

“I love teaching, and it’s exciting to see the students embrace history in the classes I teach,” said Tischauser. “It also is satisfying to know that people who read my book will be learning something.”

Those who enjoy history, or high school teachers  teaching their students about the history of race discrimination, will find additional resources for further research including, Web sites and bibliographies, in his new book. 

While it took Tischauser two years to complete the book, he plans to write another book for the same publisher. He will do this all while still doing what loves most: Sharing his love of history with his students.

Tischauser earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois, master’s degree from Northeastern Illinois University, and Ph.D. from the University of Illinois. His other books include Black/White Relations in American History, The Changing Nature of Racial and Ethnic Conflict in United States History: 1492 to the Present, and The Burden of Ethnicity: The German Question in Chicago, 1914-1941. He lives in Oak Park with his wife, Connie, and has two sons.

ADVERTISEMENT


ARCHIVES