University of Alabama history professor Forrest McDonald remembered as 'giant' in his field

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"Friends and former colleagues remembered University of Alabama history professor emeritus Forrest McDonald as a giant in his field, an internationally-known scholar whose passion in the classroom also made him a favorite on campus.

"He was a giant. I think that is the best word to summarize it," said George Rable, the Charles Summersell Chair in Southern History at UA.

McDonald, a distinguished university research professor emeritus of history, died Tuesday at Hospice of West Alabama. He was 89. Arrangements are being handled privately by Tuscaloosa Memorial Chapel. The award-winning historian, known for his scholarship on the Constitution and early republic, taught at UA from 1976 until he retired in 2002. He authored 20 books and more than 100 articles. As a constitutional historian, McDonald was called to testify before Congress.

"He absolutely amazed me when he came in here in the '70s," said Howard Jones, a university research professor emeritus and former chair of the history department. "He was an absolute ball of energy in everything he did."

McDonald, who was named the 16th Jefferson Lecturer by the National Endowment for the Humanities in 1987, was a meticulous researcher, skilled writer and engaging teacher. ...