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A Legacy of Caring, Compassion, and Commitment
History Professor Dr. Clayton Drees begins 32nd and Final Year at VWU
University News | October 11, 2023
When he was eight years old, Clay Drees’ father came home from work, told the family that his company was transferring him, and they were all moving to England. Upon arrival, young Clay’s parents made a decision that likely shaped his entire life. “A lot of the kids from the states went to the American school,” says Dr. Drees. “My parents thought it would be a good experience for us all to attend English school.” 
When the family returned to America three years later, Drees had already begun studying French and geometry, and was even translating Caesar from the original Latin. During vacation, the family traveled extensively throughout Europe. “Living in an ancient land, there are signs of history just about everywhere you look,” he says. “At my bus stop there was a Roman milestone that dated back to the 3rd century. That was hugely inspirational for me as a kid.”
By the time he finished high school, the family was living in California, and Drees decided to enroll at Santa Clara University where he studied economics and history. “After graduation, my father, being a company man, wanted me to interview with big corporations which was an idea I absolutely hated,” he recalls. Soon after, he and some friends were walking down a street in San Francisco when they came upon an office for the Peace Corps. Five months later, Drees was in Sierra Leone on the West African coast teaching economics. It was, to put it mildly, an eye-opening experience.
“During my two years in Africa, I saw things most Americans cannot even imagine,” says Drees. “I saw death on a vast scale, people suffering from leprosy, and the vicious impact of the blood diamond trade. Those two years really changed my life. I also realized that if I could do this, I could do anything.”
That level of resiliency would soon come in handy. After returning to the United States, Drees taught high school for five years, then began his pursuit of a master’s degree and doctorate in History. Along the way, he began experiencing issues with his vision. At first, doctors thought it was related to treatments he received for malaria while living in Africa. Eventually, his eyesight returned to normal, but later the symptoms reappeared and worsened. As it turned out, he had a genetic eye disease that can be passed on from mother to child. Eventually, he lost the majority of his eyesight and was legally blind – though he can still see outlines and colors – ever since.
Finishing his doctoral studies required magnifying equipment and a great deal of patience as he continued on with the much slower process of research and writing. “I had seen people in Africa who had to dig 25 feet into the ground to find a gallon of brackish water in order to survive,” emphasizes Drees. “I knew that if they could survive all they had to deal with, I could face my own obstacles.”
One day after successfully defending his dissertation, Drees received a phone call from Virginia Wesleyan offering an interview for a tenure-track teaching position. That was 1991, and he has been here ever since. What he brings to the classroom goes far beyond the knowledge gained from his academic pursuits. “History is the playing out of the human condition,” he says. “It’s the struggle between people fighting for wealth, power, religious supremacy, and religious freedom. It’s how love and hatred shape the course of human events.”
Drees has always tried to bring that kind of context and relevance to his classes. He believes that history should help us become not just more tolerant of others, but inspire us to celebrate different cultures and faiths.
Now entering his 32nd and final year at Virginia Wesleyan University, Drees is preparing for retirement and looks back with pride, both in his students and all that he has accomplished, including the publication of four books and two teaching awards. He is the former president (2018-20) of the national history honor society, Phi Alpha Theta, and is beginning a second stint as president of the Hampton Roads chapter of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers.
As Drees prepares to turn the page on this chapter of his illustrious career, his legacy remains firmly imprinted on the halls of Virginia Wesleyan University and in the hearts of countless students he has mentored. His journey, from the historical landmarks of England to the challenging terrains of Sierra Leone, and from the classrooms of California to the lecture halls of Virginia, has been marked by resilience, dedication, and an unwavering belief in the transformative power of education. He has not just taught history; he has lived it, and in doing so, inspired a generation to view the past as a lens through which we can better understand and shape our future.