How I Work: Douglas Cupples

Doug Cupples holds B.A. and M.A. degrees in political science, and a Ph.D. in history from The University of Memphis. He is a trusted member of our research team and has been instrumental in several of our episodes. Read his full bio here. 

How long have you lived in the Memphis area?
68 years.

What first got you interested in history?
listening to my grandfather tell about life in rural McNairy County, TN, especially related to the Civil War.

What is/was your career?
Half of my career was in Healthcare with several companies, including one that was a subsidiary of LeBonhuer Children’s Hospital. The other half was as a teacher at various colleges and universities.

What resources are critical to your research?
Public Library, various archives (local and otherwise) internet, personal library, databases.

What tools do you use in your research?
Internet, oral history interviews, databases, books traditional note taking.

What is your favorite Memphis history story?
The city during the secession, Civil War and Reconstruction.

If you could have dinner with any past person, who would it be?
English writer and political author John Locke.

What’s the last book you read?
“A Peace to End All Peace: The Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East” by David Fromkin.