James W. Loewen, the sociologist whose 1995 book, Lies My Teacher Told Me, took on hidebound and outdated views of American history, has died at the age of 79, the Washington Post reports.

Loewen, an Illinois native, was educated at Carleton College and Harvard University, where he earned his doctorate degree in sociology. He began his academic career teaching at Tougaloo College in Jackson, Mississippi, and later taught at the University of Vermont and Catholic University of America.

In 1995, after a two-year stint at the Smithsonian Institution, he published Lies My Teacher Told Me, which challenged American history as depicted in popular high-school textbooks. The book, which a critic for Kirkus called “an indictment that rings true and an eloquent call to action,” won the American Book Award in 1996. An edition of the book for young readers, adapted by Rebecca Stefoff, was published in 2019.

Loewen was remembered by his admirers on social media. Historian Erik Loomis tweeted, “Wow. James Loewen made the biggest impact on people wanting to hear histories not just about the rich and famous since Howard Zinn. Huge loss.”

And author May-lee Chai wrote, “Oh no. Rest in Power, James Loewen. LIES MY TEACHER TOLD ME was such a powerful, important book.”

Michael Schaub is a Texas-based journalist and regular contributor to NPR.