By Nichole Hamilton
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Henry Shapiro may have taught about the past, but his methods were visionary.

For more than two decades, the history professor lectured at University of Cincinnati, employing his own brand of teaching that encouraged his students and colleagues to approach the subject in new ways.

"Most historians borrow (teaching methods), but Henry made up his own. He was extraordinarily smart and knowledgeable ... a profoundly original thinker," said his former colleague, UC professor emeritus, Zane Miller.

UC history professor emeritus Henry David Shapiro died Wednesday in his home in York, Pa., of lung cancer. The former Clifton gaslight resident was 66.

Born and raised in New York City, Dr. Shapiro graduated from Columbia University in 1958 and continued his education at Cornell University, where he earned a master's degree in history in 1960.

He taught history at Ohio State University from 1963 until 1966, the year he completed his doctoral work at Rutgers University.

He accepted a position as a professor in UC's history department, where he remained until he retired in 1988.

His book called Appalachia on Our Mind: The Southern Mountains and Mountaineers in the American Consciousness, 1870-1920, is considered one of the foundations of Appalachian studies.

In 1985, he and Miller founded the Urban Life and Urban Landscape Series published by Ohio State University Press.

He spent a year as a visiting research fellow at Harvard University, in 1972. From 1977-78, he was a Fulbright senior lecturer in American Studies at the Free University in Berlin.

In 1987, Dr. Shapiro was the recipient of the Ohio Humanities Council's Quinquennial Award for the "greatest contributions by a humanities scholar."

Dr. Shapiro was active in the Clifton Town Meeting, and worked in the efforts to save the Esquire Theater on Ludlow Avenue.

After moving to Cleveland in 1987, he chaired the literature jury and was vice-chairperson for juries of the Cleveland Arts Prize.

He married Genevieve Ray, in 1988, and the couple moved to York, Pa., in 2002, where he worked for the York Foundation, until he became ill in June 2003.

His first wife, Nancy Kasdin Shapiro, died in 1985.

Besides his wife, Genevieve Ray, other survivors include three sons, Lawrence of Morristown, N.J., Elliot of Ithaca, N.Y., and Mathew of Los Angeles; sister, Nancy Kolodny of Norwalk, Conn.; and two grandchildren.

Services were held.

Burial in South Hill Hebrew Cemetery, York, Pa.

Memorials may be made to Cornell University Library Fund, attn. Marisue Taube, 701 Olin Library, Ithaca, NY 14853, or for counseling services at the York Cancer Center, York Health Foundation, 45 Monument Rd., York, PA 17403.

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E-mail nhamilton@enquirer.com