Robert Sherman LaForte, 80, Professor Emeritus of history, died July 11 in Galveston. LaForte joined the history faculty in 1968 and served as chair of the department, retiring in 1998. He established the UNT archives in 1975. LaForte co-wrote several books about World War II — Remembering Pearl Harbor: Eyewitness Accounts by U.S. Military Men and Women, Building the Death Railway: The Ordeal of American POWs in Burma, 1942-45 and With Only the Will to Live: Accounts of Americans in Japanese Prison Camps, 1941-45 — as well as an authorized history of UNT’s first 100 years, Down the Corridor of Years: A Centennial History of the University of North Texas in Photographs, 1890-1990. In 2002, he donated his collection of hundreds of books by and about World War II prisoners of war to UNT’s archives. In 1994, he received the ’Fessor Graham Award, which students give to outstanding faculty members. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Pittsburg State University and a doctorate from the University of Kansas and later added a master’s degree in library science from the University of Texas. He served in the U.S. Army from 1953 to 1956.
Submitted By jev0010 on Fri, 09/26/2014 - 3:23pm
Robert Sherman LaForte, 80, Professor Emeritus of history, died July 11 in Galveston. LaForte joined the history faculty in 1968 and served as chair of the department, retiring in 1998. He established the UNT archives in 1975. LaForte co-wrote several books about World War II — Remembering Pearl Harbor: Eyewitness Accounts by U.S. Military Men and Women, Building the Death Railway: The Ordeal of American POWs in Burma, 1942-45 and With Only the Will to Live: Accounts of Americans in Japanese Prison Camps, 1941-45 — as well as an authorized history of UNT’s first 100 years, Down the Corridor of Years: A Centennial History of the University of North Texas in Photographs, 1890-1990. In 2002, he donated his collection of hundreds of books by and about World War II prisoners of war to UNT’s archives. In 1994, he received the ’Fessor Graham Award, which students give to outstanding faculty members. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Pittsburg State University and a doctorate from the University of Kansas and later added a master’s degree in library science from the University of Texas. He served in the U.S. Army from 1953 to 1956.
