I Was a College Professor. A Stroke Took Away My Voice

The former chair of Georgetown University’s history department writes about living with expressive aphasia

James B. Collins and Margaret Berry,

AARP

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Published April 09, 2026

James B. Collins, photographed in his Washington, D.C., home on March 22, 2026. Collins was a Georgetown University professor when he suffered a stroke in 2023 that left him with expressive aphasia.

Sarah L. Voisin

What is aphasia?

Aphasia is a communication disorder most commonly caused by stroke. Depending on the type and cause, it can affect speaking, writing, reading and/or understanding. People with Broca’s aphasia, a form of expressive aphasia, typically understand speech and know what they want to say, but they have difficulty producing the words. According to the National Aphasia Association, more than 2 million people in the U.S. have aphasia.

On July 14, 2023, my father woke up unable to speak, and was paralyzed on his right side. Then 73 years old, he was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery. Both carotid arteries were occluded — a shock, considering he was biking 20 miles a week, lifting weights, shooting baskets and working full-time as the chair of Georgetown University’s history department.

He spent several days in the ICU, then was transferred to the stroke recovery unit. The early days were a fog of confusion, but he soon started physical and speech therapy.

He was thankfully able to walk again, slowly building enough strength to climb a few stairs before he was discharged. After years of occupational therapy, his right hand now has some function but still no feeling.

This article was a labor of love for him. Due to his Broca’s aphasia, each writing session produced just a few sentences, either typed one-handed or dictated. I organized his sentences into sections, and we reviewed it together over numerous sessions. He worked for months, demonstrating unbelievable dedication and self-discipline — skills he honed over 50 years of researching in archives and writing books.

He is a lifelong teacher, so it comes as no surprise to family and friends that he is turning this difficult experience into an opportunity to educate others. Despite the great losses that come with a stroke, my dad chooses to find purpose and joy.

— Margaret Berry

Becoming a historian

I wanted to be a basketball player. I went to college on a basketball scholarship. My right knee gave out during practice. My season was over by January 1969.

Collins and his parents at his 1971 college graduation.

Courtesy Margaret Berry

At graduate school at Columbia University I chose to study history. I spent two years in Russian history, then switched to French history.

I got my PhD in 1978. My dissertation, “Taxation in Brittany 1598–1648,” won the Herman AusubeI Prize.

I started teaching in 1976 as a graduate student. I taught full-time at Lafayette College from 1981–85. I entered Georgetown University in 1985, teaching there until I retired.

Life as a professor and scholar

I’ve taught more than 4,000 students. I’ve supervised 20 PhDs. I even taught two generations of the same family, 35 years apart.

My students had to read a lot! In 1979 I assigned 225 pages a week to undergrad students. By 2014, down to 125 pages. I loved teaching graduate school. My graduate students had to read 14 regular books in a semester, half primary sources.

The themes of my work have been economy, social structure and structures of political life. I spent 40 years studying popular sovereignty. I wrote nine books and about 50 articles.

In 2014 I was proud to receive the Georgetown University Presidential Scholar-Teacher Award from President John J. DeGioia.

The stroke and recovery

When I had my stroke, I could not talk or write. I suffer from aphasia, and it requires a huge amount of effort. Writing is a little bit easier than talking. I use writing when aphasia gives me problems.

Speech therapy has made a difference. My amazing speech therapist, Lauren Schwabish, pushed and pushed and pushed. 2024: better. 2025 and 2026, better still! I see improvement year after year since my stroke. I speak with family and friends every day. I speak more easily now. I am still making progress in speech therapy. Seeing friends has helped my recovery.

I was able to walk a quarter of a mile within months of my stroke. I started to walk every day. I walk 3 miles a day now. I exercise twice a week at the gym. I do all kinds of exercise.

An early retirement

The stroke resulted in an earlier retirement than I had planned! Pre-stroke, I traveled to Europe three to four times a year; I was an award-winning historian and a leader at Georgetown University. The stroke wiped out that part of me.

Collins delivers a speech at his Georgetown University retirement party in September 2024. He is assisted by his speech therapist, Lauren Schwabish, as Adam Rothman, the interim history department chair, looks on.

Courtesy Margaret Berry

At the beginning, I could only focus for half an hour before I would need to sleep. Now I can work for an hour and a half to two hours. I still need to take a rest two or three times a day for 20 minutes.

It took me one year to be able to read books again. I could only read 10 pages an hour. Gradually I got faster. Now I can read 40 to 50 pages an hour.

Before my stroke, I read Latin, German, Dutch, Italian, French, Russian and Spanish. Now it’s different. I read in English and French. Disappointing.

Finding a new path

I went from work, work, work to nothing. I forgot what it felt like to be my “old” self, before the stroke. Gradually my old self came back.

At the time of my stroke, I was almost done editing my ninth book. It was delayed. Once a week, my friend [and] historian Mack Holt stopped by and edited my book with me so I could finish it. I could only work for one hour. It was exhausting. By spring 2025 I could work for 90 minutes.

I started to travel again. In November 2024 I went to the Sixteenth Century Society’s conference in Toronto. In 2025 I went to the [same] conference in Portland, Oregon.

Last summer I spent a month in Montparnasse [in Paris] and walked 5 miles a day. I went to the 70th annual conference of the Society for French Historical Studies.

I wanted to tell my story to give hope to others. I want to inspire people to keep trying!

Collins plays with his granddaughters in front of his D.C. home in March 2026. Written in chalk on the sidewalk is the name they call him: “Papa.”

Sarah L. Voisin

Advice for the loved ones of a person with expressive aphasia

Be patient. I understand the question; it may take a while to deal with it.
Take time to listen. Don’t guess what I’m trying to say.
Speak slowly and clearly.

Advice for someone with aphasia

Try to stay positive.
Exercise every day if you can.
Have positive relationships.

AARP essays share a point of view in the author’s voice, drawn from expertise or experience, and do not necessarily reflect the views of AARP.

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James B. Collins is a French historian, author of nine books and professor emeritus at Georgetown University. His latest book is Empire of Fear: From Monarchical Commonwealth to French Royal State, 1561–1651.

Margaret Berry is a senior editor at AARP.org, managing digital tools and platforms.