Alfred Young

Alfred F. Young
January 17, 1925-November 6, 2012
Durham
Alfred F. Young died on November 6, 2012, in Durham, at age 87. He was a resident of The Forest at Duke for the last five years. Al was beloved by his family, friends, and colleagues for his sweet and caring nature, the twinkle in his eye, his radiant smile, and his sense of humor. He will always be remembered for his limitless devotion to his family, for his generous concern for the needs of others, for his greatness as a scholar, teacher and mentor, and for his steadfast passion for social justice.
A historian whose research, writing and teaching focused on the lives of ordinary people during the American Revolution, he was said to have "transformed the study of early America," and "to have done more than any other historian of this generation to give ordinary people their due as historical actors of consequence. His mentoring of aspiring young historians interested in the lives and politics of laboring people established him as a model in the historical profession."
Alfred Fabian Young was born and raised in New York City. He received a B.A. From Queens College, an M.A. From Columbia University, and a Ph.D. From Northwestern University. He had a long and productive teaching career over the course of some forty years, most of which were spent at Northern Illinois University. After his retirement in 1990 he was for many years a Senior Research Fellow at the Newberry Library in Chicago, during which time he co-curated a critically acclaimed show "We the People" at the Chicago Historical Society. He is the author of many books, articles and essays, including "The Shoemaker and the Tea Party: Memory and the American Revolution" (2000), "Masquerade: The Life and Times of Deborah Sampson, Continental Soldier" (2005), and co-editor of a collection of essays, "Revolutionary Founders: Rebels, Radicals and Reformers in the Making of the Nation" (2012). He continued to write up to his final days. He won the award for Distinguished Service in the Historical Profession from the Organization of American Historians in 2004.
He is survived by his wife of sixty years, Marilyn (Mills) and three daughters, Sarah, Emily and Elizabeth Young; four grandchildren, Davia, Noah, Isabel and Ruby; two sons-in-law, Jeffrey Goll and Thomas Witz, and by nephews Dennison and Andrew Young, and niece Amy Geiger.
A memorial service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Duke Hospice, Hock Family Pavilion, 4023 North Roxboro Road, Durham, NC 27704.