Ep. 137: Dr. Patty Limerick – Colorado State Historian, Chair, Center for the American West

Dr. Patty Limerick is the Faculty Director and Chair of the Board of the Center of the American West at the University of Colorado, where she is also a Professor of History. Limerick has dedicated her career to bridging the gap between academics and the general public and to demonstrating the benefits of applying historical perspective to contemporary dilemmas and conflicts. In January 2016 she became the Colorado State Historian.

I’ve taken those sentences from her bio page on the website for The Center of the American West, and it only begins to scratch the surface of her accomplishments and who she is. I say “who she is” as if website text can fully encapsulate a person, but it’s what we’ve got, so let’s try to add a bit more color.

Patty is a genius. She’s humble. She’s curious. She’s articulate. She’s impossibly well-versed on a mind-bending array of subjects. She’s an absolute ray of sunshine. I had an absolute blast talking to her for an hour, and think you’ll enjoy it too, as we cover issues ranging from monument designation to oil and gas to why the demand for historians has never been higher to the effects of unintended consequences and a ton more. I literally could have sat there talking to Patty all day. Additionally, she insisted I call her “Patty” and not “Dr. Limerick” because she’s someone secure enough in herself not to need to be reminded of her stature constantly.

And make no mistake, Patty is considered to be one of the leading historians of the American West. She’s called upon to give speeches and provide insight on a staggering number of issues. So download this episode and enjoy listening to Patty and I engage on multiple topics of import. And be sure to stay up to date with the Center of the American West here.

This episode is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or at the Jon of All Trades homepage.

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