Joel Rosenthal, longtime Stony Brook University history professor, dies at 91

When you make a career out of studying history, you often become part of it yourself. Such was the case for lifelong historian and Stony Brook University professor Joel Rosenthal, who made an indelible mark as a scholar of women’s studies and English social history.

The Port Jefferson resident died of heart failure on Aug. 20 at the age of 91.

Rosenthal became a professor at Stony Brook University in 1964, and was a leading force in the founding of the women’s studies program in 1973. He was a three-time chair of the history department, the founding chair of the interdisciplinary program in the social sciences and chair of the faculty senate. Rosenthal was also a fellow of both the Medieval Academy of America and the Royal Historical Society of the United Kingdom.

"He loved to talk about history to anyone. He had a photographic memory and was excellent at memorizing dates and facts and analyzing bits and pieces of information," said Rosenthal’s widow, Naomi Rosenthal, of Port Jefferson. "He was a man of contradictions, and he was interested in everything, and opinionated."

Rosenthal was born in Chicago on Oct. 17, 1934. Although his family moved to Cleveland in 1947, he returned to Chicago for his college education. He received his bachelor’s degree (1954), master’s degree (1958), and doctorate (1963) from the University of Chicago. With a passion for history, specifically Medieval history; Britain; social and family history, he became a much loved and respected professor at Stony Brook. He also spent his academic tenure publishing 24 books and more than 100 articles.

Joel and Naomi had met when he was a graduate student and she was an undergrad. It wasn’t until 1961 when they formally met at a friend’s wedding in London that they started dating. The couple married in 1962 and had three children: Jessica Benson, of London; Joshua Rosenthal, of Connecticut; and Matthew Rosenthal, of Barre, Vermont.

"He was unpredictable — consistency wasn’t his strong suit," Benson said of her father. "He wasn’t a big believer in rules and was eccentric in a way, but he was very doting and entertaining."

Brooke Larson, a fellow historian and colleague of Rosenthal’s at Stony Brook, recalled him as someone who "always made time to mentor his younger colleagues."

"Over the decades, he helped shape the spirit and curriculum of the history department as well as wider university policies," said Larson, of Huntington. "Joel's wonderful spirit of collegiality, his irreverent wit and his sage guidance will be sorely missed by colleagues, students and friends at Stony Brook and beyond."

Stony Brook history professor Sara Lipton said Rosenthal was "incredibly modest and unpretentious."

"He wore his erudition very lightly and never tooted his own horn," said Lipton, of Manhattan. "I think it was also because he did so much department and university service and cared so much about teaching that it was hard to imagine him being a great medievalist as well."

A longtime resident of Port Jefferson, Rosenthal championed community issues such as fair housing and labor issues, and served as a trustee of the public library board. He enjoyed bird watching, hiking, traveling, and cheering on his favorite teams: the Chicago Cubs and White Sox. He was "an Arsenal supporter with a soft spot for Tottenham," his daughter said.

Naomi Rosenthal said her husband would have wanted a legacy inspiring people to be politically active. "He would want people to question things, and to think about the importance of history," she said.

In addition to his wife and children, survivors include five grandchildren. A memorial service will take place on Nov. 16 at Stony Brook University. Contributions can be made to the Chairs Fund of the history department at Stony Brook or to the Institute of Historical Research in London in Rosenthal’s name.