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

Robert Forster, a social historian and scholar of French history who taught at the Johns Hopkins University for more than three decades and invented a French version of Monopoly, died May 13 of congestive heart failure at the Broadmead retirement community in Cockeysville. The former Roland Park resident was 93.

“Bob was a fine gentleman, a superb scholar and a great teacher,” said Dr. Edward C. Papenfuse, retired Maryland State archivist and commissioner of land patents, who was Professor Forster’s neighbor on Oakdale Road in Roland Park and former graduate student.

“I was a grad student and had taken his course on the French Revolution. It was extraordinary and we learned an enormous amount about the depth and scope of his intelligence,” Dr. Papenfuse said.

“Students adored him and if he knew you had your shoulder to the wheel, he’d cut for you,” said Jack R. Censer, who studied with Professor Forster at Hopkins.