Letter from the Editor

Abstract

AFTER A DECADE OF SERVING AS THE FACULTY EDITOR OF THE FAIRMOUNT FOLIO I HAVE HAD THE DISTINCT PLEASURE OF WORKING WITH OVER 45 EXCELLENT STUDENTS, AS AUTHORS AND EDITORS. IT HAS NOT BEEN EASY FOR THEM TO GET THEIR WORK PUBLISHED. THE SUBMITTED PAPERS WERE WRITTEN AS PART OF GRADUATE SEMINARS, AN UNDERGRADUATE WRITING COURSE AND A NUMBER OF UPPER DIVISION COURSES. AS PART OF THE PROCESS THE PAPERS WERE JUDGED BY A FACULTY EDITORIAL BOARD, JUST AS MANY SCHOLARLY HISTORY JOURNALS CHOOSE WHICH PAPERS TO PUBLISH. OUR EDITORIAL BOARDS WERE COMPOSED USUALLY OF THREE FACULTY MEMBERS AND A STUDENT. THE PROCESS IS STRENUOUS RESULTING IN A VERY COMPETITIVE PROCESS.

OFTEN, AS IN THIS VOLUME SOME ARTICLES HAVE A BANNER INDICATING THEY HAVE WON AWARDS. THE FINAL TWO ARTICLES IN THIS ISSUE ARE HERE AS A RESULT OF HAVING BEEN SUBMITTED TO THE HISTORY FACULTY FOR CONSIDERATION FOR A NUMBER OF PAPER AWARDS GIVEN BY THE DEPARTMENT. WHILE THESE PAPERS HAVE NOT GONE THROUGH THE FAIRMOUNT FOLIO BOARD, OR EDITING, THEY FACED SERIOUS COMPETITION TO EARN THEIR AWARDS. OFTEN. AS IN THE CASE OF MARK SCHOCK'S ARTICLE, AFTER HIS PAPER HAD ALREADY BEEN ACCEPTED, HE SUBMITTED IT TO THE AWARD COMMITTEE AND WON.

THIS YEAR AS PART OF A REALIZATION OF THE INCREASING COMPLEXITY OF OUR TECHNICAL PROCESS I HAVE EDITED THE VOLUME ALONE. IN 1996 VOLUME ONE OF THE FAIRMOUNT FOLIO WAS TYPESET, AND INVOLVED A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF RUNNNING TO KINKOS. OVER THIS DECADE COMPUTERS, NEW MICROSOFT PROGRAMS, AND THE WEB HAVE BECOME INCREASINGLY SOPHISTICATED, YET THEY LEFT BEHIND A MYRIAD OF PROGRAMS REFLECTING MINOR ADJUSTMENTS TO THEIR SYSTEMS. IN THIS VOLUME I HAVE ATTEMPTED TO DEVELOP POLICIES AND CHOOSE A NEW STRUCTURE WHICH WILL STREAMLINE THE ARDUOUS TASK OF PULLING TOGETHER FROM SIX TO TWELVE PAPERS PREPARED WITH MINUTELY DIFFERENT SOFTWARE. NEEDLESS TO SAY, DESPITE ALL ATTEMPTS SOME TECHNICAL GLICH'S WILL REMAIN. OF COURSE, ANY MISTAKES OF THIS SORT ARE MINE.

ENJOY AN EXCEPTIONALLY RICH VOLUME OF WORK.

DR HELEN HUNDLEY

FACULTY EDITOR