Guy Stern, a Holocaust survivor, war hero and Wayne State provost, dies at 101

Guy Stern, Ph.D., a former Wayne State provost, Holocaust survivor, and war hero, died Dec. 7. He was 101.

Born Günther Stern on Jan. 14, 1922, in Hildesheim, Germany, he was the sole survivor among his Jewish family to escape the horrors of Nazi Germany. As the oldest child, Stern, at the age 15, left with the help of a Jewish aid group in the United States and an uncle in St. Louis in 1937.

Reflecting on his ordeal, Stern remarked, “None of my family survived. I was the only one to get out,” during an interview with “60 Minutes” on CBS News.

Stern completed high school in St. Louis and joined the U.S. Army in 1943. He was chosen as one of the “Ritchie Boys” recruited to a secret U.S. military intelligence program that helped defeat Nazi Germany.

Following the war, Stern became a leading global scholar in German literature and culture, joining the faculties at Denison University, Columbia University, the University of Cincinnati, University of Maryland and Wayne State University.

Joining Wayne State University in 1978 as provost and vice president for academic affairs, Stern contributed immensely to the university’s academic landscape. Twelve years later, he resigned as the university’s chief academic and faculty officer and accepted a role as a professor in the Department of Romance and Germanic Languages and Literature, according to an article by Wayne State University.

Reflecting on his impact, Howard Lupovitch, professor of history and director of Wayne State’s Cohn-Haddow Center for Judaic Studies, remarked, “His personal experience as a Jewish refugee from Nazi Germany and one of the Ritchie Boys gave him a real appreciation for all that is good about America, which he was always willing to fight for and never took for granted.”

Stern was also the founder of the Academy of Scholars at Wayne State University, which was launched in 1979.

His commitment extended to the Zekelman Holocaust Center in Farmington Hills, where he served on the board and was director of the International Institute of the Righteous.

A vocal advocate for sharing his experiences, Stern was known to engage with the public, recounting his refugee journey, his inability to rescue his family and his service as a member of the Ritchie Boys.

In more recent years, Stern became a focal point for historians, documentarians, and eager learners, actively preserving Holocaust history. He participated in interviews for various publications and penned his memoir, “Invisible Ink.”

His involvement in the 2004 documentary “The Ritchie Boys,” highlighted the crucial role played by thousands of Jewish refugees in aiding U.S. intelligence during World War II.

Moreover, his prominence in the “The U.S. and the Holocaust,” a PBS documentary directed by Ken Burns, Lynn Novick, and Sara Botstein, underscored his enduring commitment to historical preservation.

As a professor for nearly a century, Stern leaves behind a legacy of resilience and an unwavering commitment to education and the values he held dear.

Recognized for his outstanding contributions, Stern received numerous accolades, including an honorary doctorate from Hofstra University; the Grand Order of Merit and the Goethe Medal from Germany, and the Knight of the Legion d’Honneur medal from the French Consul General in Detroit in 2017, among others. His Bronze Star also adorned his impressive list of honors.

Brendel Hightower is an assistant editor at the Detroit Free Press. Contact her at bhightower@freepress.com. Support local journalism: Subscribe to the Detroit Free Press.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Guy Stern, Holocaust survivor, and Wayne State provost, dies at 101