Rene Remond, 88, French Historian

French historian and political commentator Rene Remond, died Saturday in Paris. He was 88.

He was the longtime president of France's National Foundation of Political Sciences.

Born September 30, 1918, in Lonsle-Saunier, in France's eastern Jura region, Remond contributed to the revival of political history as an area of thought in France.

In 1964, Remond was named to the first chair on 20th century political history in France, at the University of Nanterre. He presided over the Institute of the History of Present Times from its creation in 1979 until 1990.

Elected a member of the Academie Francaise in 1998, Remond published 30 books on contemporary history and political analysis, as well as works on Catholicism. "Les Droites en France" (Rights in France), published in 1982, is considered a classic. He also wrote "Histoire des Etats-Unis" (History of the United States).

More recently, he wrote "Une Memoire Francaise" (A French Memoir)and "Quand l'Etat se mele de l'Histoire" (When the State Meddles With History).