Historian Eugene Black dies at 85

Professor Emeritus of History Eugene C. Black, a Europeanist in the department who played a critical role in building its national stature, died Oct. 18 at age 85.

Black’s research focused on modern European history, especially Britain, and its political and social institutions. In 2003, three years before he retired from the faculty, he published his last scholarly article, “The Diplomacy of Minority Rights, 1918-1930.”

Born in Boston, Black received his BA from the College of William and Mary in 1948 before enlisting in the U.S. Air Force as a pilot and serving in the Korean War. After the war, he returned to his home state to earn his MA and PhD at Harvard, graduating in 1958....