Associate Professor of Geography
She joined the Department of Geography and Geology faculty in August 2009. Prior to
joining the faculty at WKU, she taught at Marshall University and the University of
Tennessee (UT). Her research is centered on the interplay between cultural, historical,
and economic geography in the U.S. South, and the Midwest. She earned her Ph.D. in
Geography from UT, where she wrote her dissertation on the development and diffusion
of the Tennessee Walking Horse. She has continued her interests in equine geographies
with research on mules and the historical geography of horse racing in Kentucky, especially
the Kentucky Derby. Dr. Gripshover also has interests in sports geography, specifically
baseball. She is writing a book on the life and times of Charles H. Weeghman--the
man who built what we now know as Wrigley Field in Chicago. Dr. Gripshover’s book
examines the roles that individual decision makers, like “Lucky” Charlie Weeghman,
have had on shaping the cultural and economic landscape of Chicago. In addition to
her Weeghman book project, her research on “Wrigleyville,” the neighborhood surrounding
Wrigley Field appeared as a book chapter in Northsiders (McFarland, 2008). She has published journal articles on baseball players’ involvement
in dog fighting during the early 1900s, and the role of weather in early 20th century
spring training in the Baseball Research Journal.
Dr. Gripshover has research interests in the historical geography of Bowling Green,
Kentucky. She recently presented a paper on cultural connections between the area’s
karst topography and the life of Henry C. Jamison, an African American “sink digger.”
Mr. Jamison was a former slave who lived in Bowling Green’s Shake Rag neighborhood.
Dr. Gripshover, along with husband (and geographer) Dr. Thomas L. Bell, have published
research on the Great Chicago Fire and on the changing landscapes and technologies
associated with onion farming in the U.S. Dr. Gripshover and Dr. Bell also serve
as co-editors of the journal, FOCUS on Geography, published by the American Geographical Society. Dr. Gripshover’s current teaching
responsibilities include World Regional Geography, Cultural Geography, Economic Geography,Urban
Geography, and the Geography of Kentucky. For more information about Dr. Gripshover’s
teaching and research interests, contact her via e-mail at margaret.gripshover@wku.edu.
