03/31/2022
Dear InterFuture Community,
We recently learned of David Robbin's passing on March 7th in Prague after a brief illness. Private services were held for him shortly after.
For those of us who knew him through InterFuture, David was an instructor, an advisor, a mentor, and, yes, a colleague and friend. He was the President of InterFuture for over a quarter-century, and during that time was a thoughtful leader who inspired loyalty and affection from his students and co-workers. David was profoundly committed to intercultural education, giving students an opportunity to design their own, academically rigorous ways of exploring other societies, and thus gain a better understanding of their own. He did this not only at InterFuture, but also through programs at the Charles University in Prague and at Suffolk University in Boston, where he was a professor of history, chair of the History Department, associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and the University Archivist. He had a particular gift for helping others organize their thoughts into genuine insights, and then bring those insights to bear on practical problems and research projects; and he fostered long-lasting relationships between InterFuture in the United States and its international network of country coordinators and student advisors.
None of this was simply an academic exercise for David. Deeply principled, he brought to his work and his relationships a keen intelligence, sympathy, and humor that warmed many of us. We are saddened by his passing, and offer our condolences to his family.
David Lee Robbins was born on July 2nd, 1946 in Fremont, West Virginia. A graduate of Colgate University, David earned his doctorate in European History from Yale University in 1974. During his time at Yale, David became connected with Paul Conner and participated in Conner's extended, multi-country international study tour that served as forerunner to InterFuture. David spent the majority of his professional life as professor of history and associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Suffolk University in Boston and later joined the Anglophone Literatures and Cultures Departments at Charles University. David was as President of InterFuture for over 25 years. David authored two books on the history of Suffolk University, and numerous articles and pamphlets on European and American intellectual and cultural history. He steered Suffolk's first honors program, and launched several study abroad programs for Suffolk, including those in Chongqing, Dakar, Madrid, and Prague. David is survived by his spouse Marcela, daughters Melissa and Julie, and his sister Terry.
We will follow up soon with an online remembrance book for us to share our stories and reflections. We also hope to plan a memorial gathering for David in the coming months.
