Our people: Historian and communicator

Oct. 14—You may not know Donald Cameron Elder III, but you probably do know "Doc" Elder.

Elder has been in the area since 1995, teaching at Eastern New Mexico University and on the radio as part of a country music morning show and broadcasting sports.

Elder took some time out of his Tuesday to tell The News about his life.

Q: Where did you grow up?

A: I was born in Farmington, Minn. When I was growing up it was a farming town. Now, after 70 years, it's a suburb of the Twin Cities.

Then I moved to Marshalltown, Iowa, when I was 5, graduated from Marshalltown High in 1970, started my college career at Northwestern University and earned my bachelor's degree in history.

Then I went to the University of Northern Iowa for a teaching certificate.

I was a high school history teacher and coach in Vinton, Iowa.

I entered graduate school in 1983 at the University of California San Diego, got my Ph.D., with my specialty in U.S. diplomatic history in 1989, and taught at the University of Redlands.

In 1995 I was offered a position at ENMU and I've been here ever since.

Q: Your nickname, "Doc," where'd that come from?

A: It was when I started broadcasting in 1996 and Sandy Bergman (former radio station owner in Portales) thought I should have a radio moniker.

That name stuck.

Nobody calls me by my first name around here. Sometimes I forget my own first name.

Q: Tell us about your family.

A: I have two sons, Cameron and Brian. They both live in the Phoenix area.

Cameron lives in Mesa and Brian lives in Chandler.

My wife of 47 years, Janine, passed away in 2021.

Since then I met an incredible woman and started a committed relationship with her.

Q: What exactly do you do in the community?

A: I'm fortunate in that I'm a history professor at ENMU.

For 22 years I've been the co-host of the "Morning Throw Down" on 105.9 KSEL with Kevin Robbins.

I am also host of the KENW television show "Sportsbook."

I am also "The Voice of ENMU Athletics."

Since 2010 I've served on a New Mexico state commission: The New Mexico Museum of History commission.

Q: What interested you in history?

A: My great-grandfather served in the Union Army during the Civil War. My grandmother, his daughter, had books, magazines and albums of Civil War music. I fell in love with history and have never strayed from that field.

Q: What's your favorite period of American history?

A: The Civil War period; that has become my area of specialization.

I got my Ph.D. in American diplomatic history. My subject was "How the American space program affected our diplomatic relations with the rest of the world during the first three years of the space age."

I sent it to be published. I kept getting turned down.

Finally I got a publisher but they said take out all the diplomatic material and "punch up" what you've written about the U.S.' first telecommunications satellite.

"Out From Behind The 8-ball" was my first book and so far the only one I've won an award for.

For a few years I was known as a historian of space. I did presentations at NASA at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory but that's not where my heart was.

I've always considered myself a Civil War historian. So I switched over in 2003.

Q: What's the story of you and broadcasting?

A: I'm the classic example of being in the right place at the right time. In February 1996 Sandy Bergman asked me to fill in on her radio station as the host of the coach's show.

I thought that was fun.

She called me up the next day and asked if I'd be the permanent host.

Since that time I've become the voice of ENMU athletics.

In 2012 KENW asked me to host their television show "Sportsbook."

Q: Do you have a favorite vacation spot?

A: San Diego. I fell in love with San Diego when I was getting my Ph.D. I'm a huge ocean guy. I just love going to LaJolla Shores there.

Q: What's your favorite food?

A: Lasagna. In a previous life I believe I was a Roman. I also took to Latin, the language of Rome, easily.

My girlfriend makes the best lasagna, and I'm not just saying that because she's my girlfriend. It really is all that.

Q: What is your favorite saying?

A: Whenever I do something for my students, like let them out five minutes early and such, I will say, "You don't have to thank me, that's just the kind of guy I am."