Below are some places the blog and podcast have been featured. You can find out more here and reach out here.
The Washington Post – February 4, 2016
44 presidents, 43 biographies, one surprising take-away by Justin Wm. Moyer
Journalist Justin Moyer discusses people on a journey to read a biography of every president in order, including myself.
Podsauce – February 21, 2022
Editors’ Picks: Andrew Jackson’s parrot: ‘Plodding Through the Presidents’ shares lesser-known facts about some of the most iconic presidents
Smithsonian Magazine – Revised June 21, 2021 (original May 7, 2015)
John Quincy Adams Was An Ardent Supporter of Exploration by Marissa Fessenden, Meilan Solly
Originally titled “John Quincy Adams Once Approved an Expedition to the Center of the Earth,” this article propagated the myth that Adams believed in a hollow earth. It was substantially revised in June 2021 to correct that, mentioning my work and the work of J. L. Bell.
Snopes – February 19, 2018
Were Alligators Ever Kept as White House Pets? by David Emery
My findings on John Quincy Adams’s legendary pet alligator were cited in this article, and I achieved a lifelong dream of having Snopes say, “We agree with Dorre.”
Grunge – November 5, 2022
Here’s Why People Think John Quincy Adams Had A Pet Alligator by Andrew Amelinckx
“If not for an intrepid writer and podcaster Howard Dorre, this alligator tale would have continued to be passed off as fact, rather than a legend.”
Cracked.com – November 3, 2020
Cracked Apologizes to John Quincy Adams by Ethan Lou
In which I locate the source of the idea that John Quincy Adams wanted to fund an expedition to meet “mole people” and he actually apologizes for inadvertently creating the myth: “The Los Angeles man who emailed me is named Howard Dorre, a history enthusiast. He runs the podcast Plodding through the Presidents. According to him, in the nine years since my Cracked article dropped, it’s apparently spiraled totally out of control. The article’s the source of the now wide-spread factoid that John Quincy Adams believed in a hollow Earth inhabited by mole people…”
Presidential Pet Museum – February 21, 2018
Bitten by an Alligator by Andrew Hager
The historian-in-residence of The Presidential Pet Museum responds to my “thorough (and quite funny)” piece on JQA’s alligator and acknowledges their mistaken propagation of this gator tale.
Boston1775 – November 9, 2017
A Presidential Plodder by J. L. Bell
American Revolution author J. L. Bell’s profile of my blog where he provides the words I want on my epitaph: “Delightfully irreverent.”
WordPress Discover – August 29, 2018
Editors’ Picks by Ben Huberman
“American history buffs, this one’s for you: Howard Dorre, who’s reading (and blogging about) a biography of every U.S. president, has published numerous posts on arcane-yet-fascinating aspects of the presidency…”
Podcast Guest Appearances
Historical AF
Episode 73: An Unkillable Cannibal and a Bad Bromance – September 13, 2020
“Welcome to PRESIDENTS PART ONE with special guests Howard and Jess from the Plodding Through the Presidents Podcast! This week we get weird and historical with the horror movie monster Andrew Jackson and the first smear campaign between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson!”
Episode 104: Inventions Part Two: Whirligig Chairs & Abolitionist Patents – May 2, 2021
“Welcome to the Inventions Part Two with special guests Plodding Through the Presidents Podcast! This week we kick it off with some weird inventions by Thomas Jefferson. Naturally this is followed by some rage because he’s kind of the worst. Next, we dive into some of the earliest African American inventors in the United States that everyone should know!”
The Delicious Story Podcast – August 23, 2020
TDS 56 When Living In The Past Is Good For You, Howard Dorre of Plodding Through The Presidents
“For this interview, we visit with history blogger Howard Dorre, an unapologetic history enthusiast who is “plodding” his way through research into the presidents of the United States. As you listen, you’ll discover how he migrated from trudging along with a small audience to flying high and capturing the attention of thousands of thrilled followers…”
Presidencies of the United States – November 7, 2021
Seat at the Table #4 – Thomas Jefferson
“We’ve spent a good amount of time in the narrative talking about Jefferson as the third US president, but in this episode, while also exploring his life and career as a whole, we focus in a bit on Jefferson’s tenure as Secretary of State in the Washington administration. Thanks so much to my special guests for this episode, Howard and Jess from Plodding Through the Presidents!”
Check out all regular podcast episodes here.
Conference Appearances
Intelligent Speech Conference Spring 2021 – April 24, 2021
Panel: The Women Who Shaped The Early Presidencies
Moderator Jerry Landry (Presidencies of the United States) and panelists Lindsay Chervinsky (The Past, the Promise, the Presidency), Howard Dorre (Plodding Through The Presidents), and Kenny Ryan (Presidential Histories)
History Camp America – July 10, 2021
Presentation: “Saving John Quincy Adams from Alligators and Mole People”
Awards
Best History Podcast, Finalist
Discover Pods Awards, 2021
Best History Podcast, Finalist
People’s Choice Podcast Awards, 2022