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Richard Deswarte was a lecturer in Modern European History who was widely admired for his ground-breaking work in establishing digital humanities in the UK. Richard dedicated the majority of his professional life to UEA, arriving from his native Canada in 1990 to undertake a PhD in Modern European history, before going on to hold several teaching and research positions with the University, including for many years running the School of History’s bridge (access) course for non-traditional entrants to Higher Education. Richard’s tireless work to explore the possibilities of digital history and develop professional networks across the UK and beyond was tragically cut short with his unexcepted death in July 2021.
Richard was a vocal advocate for the value and importance of digital history and his contribution to the field spanned almost two decades. In that time, he was one of the founding convenors of the Digital History Seminar at the Institute of Historical Research (IHR), University of London, which has since created an annual prize in his honour to celebrate the best of digital history internationally. Dr Matthias Neumann, Professor of Modern History in the School of History, who worked alongside Richard, had this to say:
“Richard was an exceptional, well-loved teacher and colleague and was the heartbeat of the School of History for many years. His professional achievements have been far-reaching and are a fitting legacy to his pioneering vision. On a personal level, he was the epitome of kindness, collegiality, and dedication – personifying UEA at its very best. His memorial event was attended by hundreds of staff and students, both in person and online, and stands as a real testament to a man who supported and inspired others in equal measure.”
Photo credit: Image by kind permission of his family