Donald B. Meyer

Donald B. Meyer, professor of history emeritus, passed away May 27. He was 94. Meyer served in the U.S. Army from 1943-1946 and received his BA from the University of Chicago in 1947. He earned his master’s and doctorate from Harvard University, where he taught for two years. He arrived at Wesleyan in 1967 from UCLA. Meyer was a social and intellectual historian who published three books and numerous articles over his career. “He was an expert in offering a vigorous challenge to prevailing views, especially about sectors of our society that figured much too little in our history,” says colleague Nat Greene. Meyer also served as one of the founding organizers of Wesleyan’s American Studies program. The Meyer Prize was established in 1991 to recognize deserving history majors for honors theses in American history. Meyer is survived by his wife, Jean Meyer; his sister; his children and their spouses and partners; and his five grandchildren.