obituary

Dan Budnik, Who Photographed History, Is Dead at 87

His assignments for leading magazines took him to pivotal events of the civil rights era. He was also known for his photographs of artists.

MIT Professor Tunney Lee, an Architect, Urban Planner, and Historian of Chinatown, Dies at 88

“He was great public servant," said former Governor Michael S. Dukakis.

In Memoriam: Historian and Politician Ivo Banac

“He was a true friend, a generous colleague, and an internationally recognized scholar who thought and wrote with passion and verve."

Robert Forster, a Social Historian of France, Who Taught at Johns Hopkins for 31 Years

Robert Forster, who passed away May 13, is remembered as a rigorous scholar and an organized, supportive teacher. 

Christo, Famous For His Monumental Works Of Art, Dies At 84

Christo's works played off of their environment in cities around the world.

Obituary: Dr Ian Macdougall, Historian who Recorded the Voices and Experiences of Working People

MacDougall, who has died at the age of 86, was a historian with a deep affection for, curiosity in and understanding of the working men and women who are frequently overlooked when a country’s story is narrated.

History Professor Robert Forster dies at 93

Forster, who taught at Hopkins from 1966 to 1996, was renowned for his work on the history of early modern France and is remembered as a generous, supportive mentor.

Denis Goldberg, South African Freedom Fighter, Is Dead at 87

He was the only white defendant to be convicted alongside Nelson Mandela and others in 1964 for resisting apartheid. He spent 22 years in prison.

Thomas Reppetto, Crime Watchdog and Historian, Is Dead at 88

A former police officer with a Harvard Ph.D., he brought a street cop’s experience and a scholarly perspective to the Citizens Crime Commission in New York.

Former Stanford President Donald Kennedy Dies of COVID-19

The neurobiologist was appointed in 1980, served 12 years at helm.

David C. Driskell, Tireless Advocate for Black Art History, Is Dead at 88

Driskell's work, including the famous exhibition "Two Centuries of Black American Art," illustrated the importance of black artists in American art history.

Michael Howard, Eminent British Military Historian, Dies at 97

A decorated soldier in World War II, he helped reshape the study of war and was knighted in 1986 for his academic work.

Toni Morrison and the ‘Human Project’

by Robert Greene II

Through her novels and essays, Morrison helped inspire a generation of writers to reckon with American history.

Arthur Lazarus Jr., Champion of Native American Rights, Dies at 92

Over six decades, Mr. Lazarus helped Native American tribes across the country develop their democratic institutions, reclaim lands and exercise their sovereign powers.

Lamin Sanneh, pioneering historian who studied Christianity’s spread, dies at 76

The author or editor of 20 books and more than 200 scholarly articles, he focused primarily on Christian missions and missionaries, and on the church’s development into a diverse, international religion.

Rosalyn Terborg-Penn, 77, Dies; Historian Recognized Black Suffragists

Rosalyn Terborg-Penn's writing recalled how the racial split between white and black suffragists became glaringly obvious in 1913 when black participants in a Washington protest march were ordered to walk at the rear.

Sister Wendy Beckett, TV art historian, dies at 88

In the 1990s she became one of the most unlikely television stars.

Fred Greenstein, 88, Dies; Political ‘Psychologist’ Assessed Presidents

He identified six qualities in evaluating performance in the Oval Office. (No. 1: emotional intelligence.) And as a scholar of Eisenhower, he liked Ike.

Historian Leo Ribuffo dies at 73

The George Washington University professor became famous for his book, “The Old Christian Right."

Randolph L. Braham, leading historian of the Holocaust in Hungary, dies at 95

Dr. Braham described Holocaust scholarship as his “destiny” and fought against moves to whitewash Hungarian collusion with Nazi authorities.