Forgotten Struggles

Dr. Otis Eliot Pope Jr. is an American historian and native of Chicago, Illinois. His passion for history began in his adolescence during an educational program at the Chicago Historical Society, today's Chicago History Museum, where he interviewed his grandfather and learned first-hand about African-American Pullman porters in the early 1900s. Dr. Pope continued his exploration of history at Bowdoin College where he studied American Government and Art History. His undergraduate experience also led him to study Eastern European Politics and German History at the London School of Economics. He later earned his master's in American History from DePaul University where he taught 19th and 20th century American History. He earned his PhD in American History at Loyola University, where he focused on African-American soldiers' experiences during the Korean War. Dr. Pope has inspired others to love history, both at the high school and college levels. He currently teaches History at Francis Parker School and lives with his wife in Chicago, where he continues to make his way through the culinary scene.