Originally a chemical engineering major who couldn’t stand the subject of English, one may be surprised to learn that NEIU Professor Dr. Timothy Scherman now instructs American Women Writers of the 19th Century, an English course he designed himself.
With a letter of rejection from NEIU hanging proudly by the entrance to his office, Dr. Scherman shares some of his past as he sips on a grande cafe Americano with cream. Born in Bronxville, New York, he grew up in New Jersey with one brother and four half-siblings. After attending Dartmouth College for an undergraduate degree in English, the newly established graduate enrolled at Duke for work in American Literature. With a graduate degree in hand, Scherman first began work in advertising and then moved to teaching. Now a staple in the English department, he has been employed at NEIU since 1993.
As a fan of authors Don DeLillo and Allan Garganus, Scherman always ends up going back to Henry David Thoreau and his popular work, Walden. While the English connoisseur’s favorite authors are mostly of his own finding, he remains open to suggestions.
“Actually, students occasionally turn me on to great new writers as well,” Scherman said. Naturally a searcher for new authors, he has other favorites as well in movies and music. Local progressive blues band Bailiff was a top choice as well as Pulp Fiction on the film side.
Perhaps most interesting among all of Dr. Scherman’s work is his research on 18th century female author Elizabeth Oakes Smith. Smith was a writer, poet, editor, lecturer and women’s rights activist noted for her work on Native Americans and feminism. While studying a literary agent during graduate work, her name was spotted in a letter and the discovery of this woman’s life became a sort of personal quest. After finding literally five feet of manuscript at a local university, he set out on a great adventure. Obtaining a core grant, Scherman traveled from Maine to North Carolina to discover the story of Oakes Smith.
The extensive study of this contemporary feminist author stemmed from a bond formed over time. “After you begin to respect someone in print, and then realize they have been forgotten, it becomes that much more important,” Scherman said.
After his accidental slip onto the name of Oakes Smith, the endeavor has now spanned over approximately 17 years filled with research and travel. Elizabeth Oakes Smith has been the focus of many articles by Dr. Scherman as well as a feature chapter in his dissertation. He also helped pass a commemorative bill in New York that was later officially made law, dedicated to her life.
Outside of school, the associate professor stays busy reading and running; he is currently training daily for the Chicago marathon. He is also a husband and a father. Dr. Scherman’s wife, Pam, is an attorney and they have two children, seventh- grade daughter CeCe and son Henry, a fifth-grader. The family also has two yorkie dogs, Ted and Zoe.