Editor's Note

Abstract

When I first embarked upon this editing odyssey in September of 2005, I came across the words of Oscar Wilde: "Any fool can make history, but it takes a genius to write it." Now that my voyage has landed, I can attest to the validity of this "Wilde" belief. It was during this latest printing that The Fairmount Folio received more submissions for publication than in any previous year in its existence. I believe this surge in papers is, in part, due to the growing interest Wichita State University students have for the realm of history. Where else can a chemistry student sift through the treasures of King Tut' s tomb after deciphering the chemical formula for table salt? And in what other scholarly field can men and women respectably keep their mentors alive, such as Pope John Paul II or Martin Luther King Jr., while simultaneously enabling throngs of fresh, young minds to absorb their social impact and perhaps inspire them to better this world? Simply put, history is the story of our past and the material with which we mold our future, and I am honored to be a part of this eighth volume of the historical journal known as The Fairmount Folio.

In this edition, we have an exceptional range of analytical documents examined: from the educational systems of ancient Greece, to the transplantation of white colonists into Indian societies, to students' political protests in the contemporary world-surely there is a text written that stirs your curiosity.

As for the process of compiling, choosing, and editing these papers, I must bestow a humbled thank you to Dr. Helen Hundley for her unremitting patience with my relative inexperience as an editor and her vast knowledge of not only history, but of this process as a whole. Her exceptional talent for coordinating the production of the Folio and the meetings of those involved was instrumental in the success of the journal. Her explanation of the process were very appreciated, welcomed, and calming during those hectic days at Wichita State where midterms unfortunately seem to coincide with publishing deadlines.

A second thank you must be sent to those on the Folio's editorial board-Or. George Dehner, Dr. Robert Owens, Angela Gumm and, of course, Dr. Helen Hundley. To be honest, I was ecstatic over the care and attention to minute detail each member spent on all eligible papers given the fact that there were so many submissions, no paper clip, rubber band, or extra-extralarge yellow envelope could house a member's copies to be reviewed.

In addition, I express gratitude towards Wichita State's Department of History and their College of Liberal Arts and Sciences for tirelessly supporting this journal and funding its publication.

Finally, I must give recognition to Chuck Crandall and Troy Lister from ADR Publishing for his expertise in printing scholarly material and, more importantly, conveying that knowledge to this year's editor of the Folio. In short: God Bless e-mail. Now please enjoy the treasures we have acquired on our nine-month journey through history...

Athena Stephanopoulos

May 2006