The Maryville University community mourns the loss of professor emeritus of history Dennis Wachtel, PhD. Wachtel was a professor in the Social Sciences teaching both psychology and history from 1964 until his retirement in 2017. His remarkable 53 years of service is a tribute to the thousands of Maryville students that he touched and to his commitment to his discipline.

Wachtel was an avid reader of history, passionate about its importance in the full education of Maryville students and all citizens. He took delight from the fact that he was always learning new things about history alongside his students.

In a 2009 interview with Maryville Magazine, Wachtel said: “If you ever came to my house you’d have trouble finding your way to a seat for all the books I have piled up all over the place. Every now and then I think, ‘I need to do a course on this.’ I’ve never lost my interest in my discipline, and that keeps you going.”