Charles Henry Oldfather had a life outside of UNL as well, with a wife and children.

The University biographical files tell us a lot about Charles Henry Oldfather. Born in Persia, at the young age of fifteen Oldfather attended Hanover College for four years, going on to seminary after that. When he was through three years of seminary, Oldfather went to the University of Munich for a year or two, then immediately got a job as an Instructor at Syrian Protestant College until 1914. Oldfather then became a Professor of the Classics at Hanover College for two years before moving to Wabash College to teach Greek and Ancient History for ten years. During his ten years at Wabash College, Oldfather got his Ph. D. from the University of Wisconsin. (University Bio Record)

In 1914 Oldfather was married to Margaret Kinsey McLelland, and soon they had three children of their own, Ellanor, Margaret, and Charles Henry Jr. In 1926 Oldfather got a job as a Professor of Ancient History at the University of Nebraska, and shortly afterwards, in 1932, Oldfather became the Dean of the college of Arts and Sciences where he stayed until he retired in 1951. (University Bio Record) In 1954, Oldfather passed away from a heart ailment at the age of 67. ["Ex Dean," 1954]

 Before Becoming a Dean

In the time before Oldfather became the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Nebraska, he was very busy with the many jobs that he had as well as schooling of his own. During this time, Oldfather managed to publish multiple pieces of work such as one that he did in 1923 titled “The Greek Literary Texts from Greco-Roman Egypt.” Oldfather also translated many things, including Pufendorf (De Jure Naturae et Gentium) in 1934, Loeb Classical Library of Diodorus of Sicily, Volumes 1-4, and other Minor articles. (University Bio Record)

But Oldfather didn’t spend all of his time teaching and working, he was also involved in many different organizations and affiliations, including Phi Delta Thata, Phi Beta Kappa, was a member of the American Historical Association, American Philological Association, Classical Association of Middle West, and the American Association of University Professors. Oldfather led a very busy life in his time at and before the University of Nebraska. (University Bio Record)

Oldfather was a well known and well liked man on campus. Chancellor Burnett described Oldfather as “a man of fine education, a popular teacher, and has a rather more judicial temperament, I think, than has Dean Hicks.” [Sawyer] Dean Hicks was the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the time, but this goes to show that Oldfather was a fine example of a man, and ready for the job of Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences that he would be getting in 1932. Also said about Oldfather was that “few University deans would equal his record of service to the institution.” [Sawyer] Overall, Oldfather was a great man on campus and left an impact for many years into the future.