It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved colleague, Emory Elliott. Emory died at his home on March 31, 2009. He would have been 67 in October.

Emory was one of the most distinguished scholars of American Studies in the world. He published two groundbreaking books on early American literature, but his scholarship and teaching encompassed all of American literature, from the Puritans to Postmodernism. Emory dedicated himself to the most generous understanding of what the field of American Studies might be, and what an academic department can do. Emory joined the English department as Professor of English in 1989 and was appointed University Professor in 2001. He was a passionate and dedicated teacher, who mentored countless students. An advocate for a rigorously inclusive University, Emory championed diversity in faculty hiring and new areas of inquiry.

You would often see Emory on campus or at his favorite spot, Jammin' Bread, sharing coffee or lunch with a junior faculty member and listening with complete attention to a description of the book in progress and offering advice about publication. He gave invaluable moral and material support to so many of us.

Scholars across the country and across the world came to know UCR through Emory's inspired and dedicated work as director of UCR's Center for Ideas and Society. As Director, Emory brought major initiatives funded by grants from the Ford and Rockefeller foundations to the campus, and sponsored landmark conferences, such as "Aesthetics and Difference," which placed Riverside at the center of national discussions of a progressive future for the Humanities. As President of the American Studies Association, Emory took great pride in furthering opportunities for international exchange and collaboration, believing that scholarship and education were crucial to a more peaceful and just world.

We will miss him beyond reckoning. The size and scope of the community affected by his passing is startling - in no small part because he made each of us feel special. It boggles the mind how one person could have done this for so many.