The late Joseph L. Peyser, Indiana University South Bend professor emeritus of French and education, and local expert on Fort St. Joseph, Niles, will be remembered at a memorial celebration from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 6, in Room 225, Student Activities Center, IU South Bend.

Professor Peyser, 79, died Jan. 1, in South Bend. He retired from the university in 1994.

The memorial will bring local historians, IU South Bend faculty, colleagues from across the country, family and friends to the campus to celebrate his life and his varied interests. Members of Support the Fort will dress in period dress from the 17th century and one member will sing a French voyageur song. Refreshments will be served at 1 p.m. and the celebration will begin at 2 p.m.

At IU South Bend, Peyser was a full professor of French having joined the university in 1973 as dean of faculties and chairman of Department of Foreign Languages.

Peyser served in the Navy during World War II and in the Naval Reserve until 1959.

He received degrees from Duke University in 1947; Columbia University in 1949 Universite de Nancy, France, in 1950; and New York University in 1965.

He taught in France and later taught high school foreign language, English and social studies in two high schools in New York. In the 1960s and 1970s, he taught and held administration positions at Hofstra University and Dowling College, both in New York.

In 1977, Peyser began translating French documents for the Niles Historical Commission relating to Fort St. Joseph. The documents led to the publication of “Letters from France: The Upper Country 1686-1783.”

His work continued over the years and he later found a map in the National Archives of France that located the fort. The fort location was highly disputed. This find prompted archaeologists from Western Michigan University to search the east bank of the St. Joseph River, where the remains of the fort were located and documented. The site continues to be excavated.

Peyser also researched several other translation projects relating to the French experience in the Great Lake Region. Two volumes of documents were translated by Peyser: “Jacque Legardeur de Saint-Pierre: Officer, Gentleman, Entrepreneur” and “On the Eve of the Conquest: The Chevalier de Raymond’s Critique of New France in 1754.”

At the time of his death, a third volume titled “Edge of Empire: Michilimackinac, 1671-1761” was being prepared for publication.

In addition to teaching and administrative duties at IU South Bend, he left another indelible mark on the campus. He, along with his wife, Julia, believed in global equality. Following his retirement, they established two scholarships at IU South Bend – one for graduate students and the other for undergraduates to study abroad.

He is survived by his wife, Julia; a daughter, Jan Peyser-Gleason; a son, Randy Peyser; three grandchildren, Lisa Stamm, Ben Peyser and Jason Stamm; and a sister, Jeanne Kaunitz.

Memorial contributions may be sent to Indiana University Foundation (Joseph and Julia Peyser Study Abroad Undergraduate Scholarship Fund), c/o Jan Halperin, Director of Development, Indiana University South Bend, P.O. Box 7111, South Bend, IN 46634, Checks should be made out to the IU Foundation.

Memorials also may be sent to Support the Fort, Inc. 210 E. Main St., Niles, MI 49120-2376.