Director remembers Remini, former U.S. House of Representatives historian and McConnell Center guest

April 2, 2013 - Robert Remini, a former official U.S. House of Representatives historian, died March 28 at age 91. He was a former McConnell Center guest speaker.
Director remembers Remini, former U.S. House of Representatives historian and McConnell Center guest

Robert Remini

Robert Remini, a professor emeritus at the University of Illinois at Chicago and a former official historian for the U.S. House of Representatives died March 28, according to a university news release. He was 91.

"Robert Remini is one of those historians who have brought history out of the classrooms and to the public, and, in so doing, helped us remember vital moments that have made us who we are," said Gary Gregg, director of the McConnell Center.

Remini, considered the most important modern biographer of Henry Clay, was the distinguished guest speaker at the McConnell Center's Feb. 17, 2007, conference on The Life and Legacy of Henry Clay.

"Though near-blizzard-like conditions kept some of our attendees at home, Dr. Remini kept us all enthralled with his energetic exploration of Clay's life and legacy. He spoke without notes and paced the front of the room as he lectured," Gregg said.

Remini's critically acclaimed three-volume Andrew Jackson biography took more than 15 years to complete. The third volume of the series, "Andrew Jackson and the Course of American Democracy, 1833-1845," won the National Book Award for Nonfiction in 1984. He also authored biographies of John Quincy Adams and Daniel Webster, as well as a dozen other books on Jacksonian America.
"Robert Remini is one of the great historians of our age and his presence and writings will be missed," Gregg said.