I am indebted to a number of persons who assisted me over the course of years of researching and writing this book. I am especially grateful for the many people I interviewed. Some of them, notably Abdeen Jabara and Nick Medvecky, offered detailed recollections and went out of their way to help me by providing photographs, documents, and additional contacts. Many thanks go out to the various librarians and archival staff who worked with me in institutions in this country and abroad.
I particularly would like to acknowledge the hardworking staff of Randolph-Macon College, who do so much for the professors here for so little reward and acknowledgment in return. This includes the wonderful staff of the McGraw-Page Library, under the leadership of Director Virginia Young and, later, Nancy Falciani-White, who helped me obtain books and microfilms via interlibrary loan and otherwise assisted me. Staff members include Emily Bourne, Megan Hodge, James Murray, Scarlett Mustain, Laurie Preston, Kelli Salmon, Judee Showalter, Lynda Wright, and Lily Zhang. Outside the library I wish to thank Mimi Carter, who made countless photocopies of various drafts of the manuscript, just as student assistants Shuyan Zhan, Paige Weaver, and Tori Santiago Troutman helped me with various research assignments. Special thanks go to Brenda Woody and Princess Tunstall, who kept the history department’s building in order, notably my sometimes cluttered office.
Off campus I benefited immensely from the keen talents of Kate Wahl, Leah Pennywark, Anne Fuzellier Jain, and Stephanie Adams at Stanford University Press and appreciated the comments of the anonymous peer reviewers and the copy editor, Joe Abbott. I would like to acknowledge Ma‘agan and Hallel Forman; ask your father why. As always, I remain grateful to various friends and family members for their hospitality, love, and support.
Finally, I gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Walter Williams Craigie Teaching Fund, the Rashkind Family Endowment, and the Committee on Faculty Development at Randolph-Macon College, as well as the Maurice Mednick Memorial Fellowship of the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges.