Dr. Erin Redihan
- Lecturer
Areas of Expertise
- Cold War history, Olympic history, history of the Soviet Union
Education
- B.A. in history, Providence College
- M.A. in American history and modern European history, Providence College
- MLIS, San Jose State University
- Ph.D. in history, Clark University
What's My Why?
I’ve always been interested in sports, particularly the Olympics, and recent history. My research allows me to continually explore how and why sports have impacted international relations, especially the Cold War. Every year, I look forward to debating the merits of the Soviet and American Olympic boycotts of the 1980s with students and talking about how the superpowers used the games as Cold War cannon fodder. Salve’s tight-knit history program means I teach the same students over and over, giving me the opportunity to build relationships with them and to see how much they grow during their time here.
Professional Experience
Outside the classroom, I work closely with two scholarly organizations: the New England Journal of History, where I am an associate editor, and the North American Society for Sport History, where I have served on several different committees and where I present most years at their conference. I also love working with students who are interested in publishing and/or presenting some of their work. Before I began teaching full-time at Salve, I spent nearly 20 years working in public libraries and I remain active in the library world today. In addition to being a trustee of my local library, some of my research involves morale among library workers and the ways in which libraries can provide services even to users who never technically enter the building.
Media Coverage
The Atlantic, Boston Globe: Rhode Report Podcast, Ocean State Media/National Public Radio, Triple Pundit Media, KZUM Sports from the grassroots
Selected Publications
Redihan, Erin E. The Olympics and the Cold War, 1948–1968: Sport as Battleground in the U.S.–Soviet Rivalry. Jefferson, NC: McFarland Publishing, 2017.
“‘Colonialism Has No Place in the Olympic Movement’: Ukrainian American Activists and the Olympics, 1956–1984.” The International Journal of the History of Sport, June 2026, 1–23. doi:10.1080/09523367.2026.2686752.
Redihan, Erin E. “Protesting the 1980 Moscow ‘Olympics of Oppression,’” Process: a blog for American History. Organization of American Historians. 30 April 2024.
Redihan, Erin E. “‘Winning for themselves, not for Moscow’: Baltic independence and the Olympic Games during the 1980s.” Journal of Olympic Studies, Vol. 2 No. 2, 2021, 110-128.
“Public Library Worker Morale in Southern New England (USA),” Public Library Quarterly: 2025, 1–23.