Email: dale@stolaf.edu
Phone: 507-786-3723
Office location: Holland Hall 506
Associate Professor of Political Science
Ph.D., M.A. University of Essex, England
B.A. University of Keele, England
Comparative Politics, Russian/Eurasian Politics, European Politics
Professor Dale is a native of Liverpool, England. He entered Keele University in the politically charged year of 1968. While taking politics, economics and modern history (B.A. 1972), he became curious about contradictions between the theory and practice of politics and society in the Soviet Union. He completed a Masters degree in Soviet Government and Politics at the University of Essex (M.A. 1975). After two years as a high school teacher he returned to Essex to begin a Ph.D. in Soviet Politics and went to Moscow State University (MGU) for the academic year 1978-9. He first came to the USA in 1980 to continue research at the Library of Congress and after a second year at MGU began teaching at Oberlin College, Ohio in 1984. He came to St. Olaf in 1988. He teaches Soviet, Eurasian, European and comparative politics. Between 2001 and 2005 he served as St. Olaf’s Director of Government and Foundation Relations (“the grants office”).
After teaching his regular interim course in the former Yugoslavia, Paddy Dale will go on sabbatical leave until February 2015. He will be working on a book about the political ethics of Czech dissident turned President, Vaclav Havel.