Professor Arthur Herbert Dodd (1891 – 21 May 1975) was an

academic An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, ...

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the st ...

who taught and published widely, specialising in the

politics Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that stud ...

of the Tudor and

Stuart period The Stuart period of British history lasted from 1603 to 1714 during the dynasty of the House of Stuart. The period ended with the death of Queen Anne and the accession of King George I from the German House of Hanover. The period was plagu ...

s, Welsh history, and the

history History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...

of the

Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution was the transition to new manufacturing processes in Great Britain, continental Europe, and the United States, that occurred during the period from around 1760 to about 1820–1840. This transition included going f ...

. Dodd was born and brought up in

Wrexham Wrexham ( ; cy, Wrecsam; ) is a city and the administrative centre of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is located between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley, near the border with Cheshire in England. Historically in the count ...

Denbighshire Denbighshire ( ; cy, Sir Ddinbych; ) is a county in the north-east of Wales. Its borders differ from the historic county of the same name. This part of Wales contains the country's oldest known evidence of habitation – Pontnewydd (Bontnewy ...

, where his father Charles was a

headmaster A head master, head instructor, bureaucrat, headmistress, head, chancellor, principal or school director (sometimes another title is used) is the staff member of a school with the greatest responsibility for the management of the school. In som ...

at Victoria School. It was a family of modest means but studious inclinations; one of his three brothers,

C. H. Dodd Charles Harold Dodd (1884–1973) was a Welsh New Testament scholar and influential Protestant theologian. He is known for promoting "realized eschatology", the belief that Jesus' references to the kingdom of God meant a present reality rathe ...

, achieved particular distinction as a

New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Chri ...

scholar. Having attended Grove Park Grammar School in the town he went up to New College, Oxford in 1911, and after graduating in

, joined the Royal Army Medical Corps (2nd West Lancashire Field Ambulance) in 1914 with whom he saw active service in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

. Dodd was appointed lecturer in history at the

University College of North Wales , former_names = University College of North Wales (1884–1996) University of Wales, Bangor (1996–2007) , image = File:Arms_of_Bangor_University.svg , image_size = 250px , caption = Arms ...

in 1919, and succeeded Sir John Edward Lloyd as professor of history there in 1930, remaining until his retirement in 1958. He also taught in the Extra-Mural Department, and was stalwart of the

Workers' Educational Association The Workers' Educational Association (WEA), founded in 1903, is the UK's largest voluntary sector provider of adult education and one of Britain's biggest charities. The WEA is a democratic and voluntary adult education movement. It delivers lea ...

and the

Cambrian Archaeological Association The Cambrian Archaeological Association ( cy, Cymdeithas Hynafiaethau Cymru) was founded in 1846 to examine, preserve and illustrate the ancient monuments and remains of the history, language, manners, customs, arts and industries of Wales and the ...

. In retirement he was curator of Bangor Museum, and taught at

Bangor Normal College The Normal College, Bangor ( cy, Y Coleg Normal) was an independent teacher training college, founded in 1858. It was created through the efforts of the British and Foreign School Society and the educator Sir Hugh Owen, and was funded by £11,0 ...

(then St Mary's Educational College, now part of the University of Bangor). He was a founder member of the

Historical Society, and edited a history of Wrexham to coincide with the Borough Centenary Celebration in 1957. He was made a

freeman Freeman, free men, or variant, may refer to: * a member of the Third Estate in medieval society (commoners), see estates of the realm * Freeman, an apprentice who has been granted freedom of the company, was a rank within Livery companies * Free ...

of the Borough of Wrexham in 1963. A centenary celebration of his birth was held in Wrexham in 1991. Though not a native speaker, Dodd was a supporter of the

Welsh language Welsh ( or ) is a Celtic language of the Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Welsh people. Welsh is spoken natively in Wales, by some in England, and in Y Wladfa (the Welsh colony in Chubut Province, Argentina). Historically, it has ...

and brought up his children as Welsh speakers, at a time when the language had far less social status.

Bibliography

* ''The Industrial Revolution in North Wales'' (1933) * ''Studies in Stuart Wales'' (1952) * ''The Growth of Responsible Government from James the First to Victoria'' (1956) * ''Life in Elizabethan England'' (1961) * ''A History of Caernarvonshire'' (1968) * ''Life in Wales'' (1972) * ''A Short History of Wales'' (1977) (published posthumously)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dodd, A. H. Members of the Cambrian Archaeological Association 20th-century Welsh historians People from Wrexham Alumni of New College, Oxford 1891 births 1975 deaths People educated at Grove Park School, Wrexham Royal Army Medical Corps soldiers British Army personnel of World War I