History professor returning to speak about Dust Bowl

Dewing's presentation will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 17, in the Chicoine Atrium of the Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center. It will be open to the public without charge.

Dewing's presentation, titled "The Northern Great Plains: the Other Dust Bowl," will examine the drought in the '30s, the severity of the Dust Bowl in the Northern Great Plains and the lasting consequences, particularly in western Nebraska.

Much of the material in his presentation originates from his book, "Regions in Transition: the Northern Great Plains and the Pacific Northwest in the Great Depression," which was published by University Press of America in 2006.

Dewing taught history at Chadron State for 32 years beginning in 1969. During his tenure, he was chairman of the Social Science Department for 18 years, assisted in the establishment of the criminal justice program and inaugurated the Omicron Gamma chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, an honors program of history.

While at Chadron State, Dewing wrote "Wounded Knee: the Meaning and Significance of the Second Incident," a book which focuses on the occupation of Wounded Knee on the Pine Ridge Reservation by American Indian Movement activists in 1973.

After publication of the Wounded Knee book, Dewing developed several papers that he presented at regional and national conferences and were published in scholarly journals.

Dewing continues to be involved in scholarly activities. He and his wife Deloris reside at Renton, Wash.