22 November
Laurence Davis Lafore was a professor of History at the University of Iowa from 1969 until 1985. A specialist in foreign policy and European history, Lafore was renowned for his works The Long Fuse (1965) and End of Glory (1970), about the origins of World War I and World War II, respectively. In addition to his academic books, Lafore also wrote novels (mainly spy thrillers) and nonfiction articles for outlets like Harper’s and The Atlantic. Comparing his forays into fiction with his historical work, Lafore quipped: “It’s a lot easier to write a novel. You don’t have to know anything.” His 1971 Harper’s publication, “In the Sticks,” is perhaps his most widely read piece. In the article, Lafore details his perspective on Iowa as a transplant from the East Coast, writing that coming to Iowa “is like taking off tight shoes: after the first elation of comfort has faded, you forget how great the discomfort was.”
Born on September 15, 1917, Lafore grew up in the small town of Narberth, Pennsylvania. A child of wealthy parents, he traveled extensively in his youth, including a summer trip to Europe when he was 12 years old. Lafore earned his Bachelor of Arts from Swarthmore College in 1938, and his Master of Arts from Tuft University’s Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy a year later. During WWII, he served as an assistant information officer in London and, in 1944-45, at the U.S. Embassy in Paris.
After returning from Europe, Lafore earned his Ph.D. from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in 1950. He taught for nearly two decades at Swarthmore, his alma mater, before accepting a position at the University of Iowa in 1969. Throughout his career, Lafore was a prolific writer, engaging public speaker, and inspiring teacher, evidenced by the hundreds of letters he received from former students. In 1976, Lafore was selected to the “Notable Americans of the Bicentennial Era” by the Bicentennial Selection Committee of the American Biographical Institute.
In his leisure time, Lafore loved cooking, traveling, and spending time with friends. He retired from the University of Iowa in 1985. Unfortunately, he passed away only six months later on November 24th, 1985, at the age of 68. At the time of his death, Lafore was working on a photographic history of the University of Iowa. This work – as well as an earlier architectural history of Iowa City called American Classic – testify to Lafore’s love for the University of Iowa and his adopted town.