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Remembrances of Bob Oakley

Please send your fond memories and condolences to Georgetown Law via e-mail, at:

AboutOakley@law.georgetown.edu

We will post to this website selected email messages we receive so that all can share in the memory of Robert Oakley. People are also welcome and encouraged to sign the Washington Post's online guest book.

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From the moment that Bob joined Georgetown, I knew that we had gained not only a very efficient librarian, but a colleague who understood what the Law Center’s teachers were trying to do. In my own case, this was a special gift, since I am not a lawyer and had the privilege of serving for more than two decades as resident social scientist, with an emphasis on modern history, modern society, and modern thought. Bob was always very understanding of my requests for support in teaching and research, and encouraged me by taking an intellectual interest in what I was trying to do.

I always found the library, its senior, junior and technical staff unfailingly helpful. Of course, that is due to the devotion and qualities and talents they brought to their tasks. However, I do believe that the unusually effective way in which the library has functioned , the fact that as a professor one felt at home as soon as one stepped across the threshold, owed a great deal to Bob’s example and leadership.

We will certainly miss him.

Norman Birnbaum, University Professor Emeritus, Georgetown Law Center

My favorite memory of Bob was that of a quiet CEO who accomplished much with much. I worked at the Georgetown Law Library from 1989-1993 - but I would have given anything to work there five years sooner. The late1980’s were the best years of growth at the Law Library – it was a time of coordinated genius. Elisabeth Jackson orchestrated the construction of a new building. Janice Anderson pioneered a new online catalog. Phil Berwick (and later Shelley Dowling) grew new public services. Vivian Campbell built the foundation of an extraordinary collection. Each of these people – law librarians of extraordinary talent - shouldered major projects - projects daunting for a library director. With sense and sensibility, Bob coordinated their work so that, with others, he accomplished more in five years than most library directors dare hope to achieve in a lifetime. In short, Bob was a genius at managing the genius in others.

Bruce Kennedy, Associate Professor
University of Toledo College of Law

I served on a committee convened by the Library of Congress to study Section 108 of the Copyright Act for the past two years. It was a pleasure to get to know him, even in this limited capacity. He was thoughtful, intelligent and never forced his opinion in an extreme way. We will miss his wisdom and kind manner as we finish our work together. I am glad that our paths were able to cross for even a brief time.

Nancy E. Wolff
Cowan, Debaets, Abrahams & Sheppard LLP

I knew Bob for little more than a year and he made a lasting impact on my life. He often asked me about how my family liked living in D.C. and asked after my 2 year old. When we talked about daycare he told me about the daycare he used for his daughter. On her first birthday the daycare provider had a birthday party for her. Bob still beamed when he remembered that “she didn’t know what the cake and the party was about but she knew that everyone was paying attention to her and that they all cared for her.” As I think about Bob’s management style I think of that story. When I went into his office I know that he cared about my future and he cared about the library and the services we provided. I saw him take interest in everyone he worked with. During staff events he basked in the joy of others.

As a manager he gave us the freedom to develop our own ideas about librarianship and patron service. Simultaneously, he took the time to discuss our ideas and helped us refine them. He was able to bring out the best in us.

Not everyone knows that Bob was a wonderful teacher in the classroom as well. Last summer he lead a discussion on the state of copyright law which was clear, engaging, and entertaining. He did a similar job any time he taught.

One of the greatest things about Bob is that he was serious when he investigated the future of law libraries. The Dean asked him to build today the library of the future. Bob took this as a real intellectual challenge. He challenged everyone in his library to study trends in librarianship and to discuss ways that Georgetown could help design the library of the future. My favorite events in the library where the ones where he would lead a discussion among the staff, discussing Library 2.0 services, the future of cataloging, or some other debate regarding the future of librarianship. He lead every discussion with the zeal of an inspired teacher and with a practical eye.

As a side note, I thought that Bob was a great writer. His writing on preservation and copyright issues made me care about the topics in ways I had not previously.

Kumar Percy Jayasuriya
Associate Law Librarian for Patron Services

The staff and faculty of the University of Connecticut had the privilege of hearing Bob Oakley speak just a year and a half ago during one of an annual series of library sponsored presentations on topics of broad academic interest: WHOSE RIGHTS AND WHO’S RIGHT: COPYRIGHT IN THE DIGITAL AGE., April 4, 2006, Featured Speaker: Robert Oakley....

At that time, the University Libraries were leading an initiative to heighten awareness of copyright concerns and build a centralized resource center on the web for the university; therefore, it was particularly valuable to have someone of Bob's stature in the field and level of involvement in current copyright issues address the UConn community. Bob not only drew one of the largest audiences for this annual series, but uniformly elicited positive remarks from the attendees. Comments included how accessible he made such a formidable topic; his clarity of presentation, how much useful and interesting information he imparted, and how approachable he was after the event as he mingled with the audience and fielded numerous questions over refreshments.

On behalf of the committee that sponsored the event, I would like to express our gratitude to Bob for helping to bring an important topic to the forefront at UConn, and to convey our great sadness at the loss of this eminent librarian, scholar, and teacher.

Lana Y. Babij
On behalf of the 2005-2006 Forum Team:
Terri Goldich,
Xiaolin Pei
Janet Swift
Lana Babij

Robert Oakley was a first class colleague in all respects and served as an inspiration and role model to all of us who were his colleagues in law librarianship. Bob excelled in the management of his library. He also excelled in his work for the broader profession especially in his selfless service as AALL President, as Executive Board member and as AALL’s long term Washington Affairs Representative. All this and more clearly qualify Bob Oakley as being among a small group of truly significant leaders of his generation. He was also my friend and a really remarkable human being who placed the fulfillment of his responsibilities above his personal ambition. I recall, after his having been approached by the nominations committee to stand as a candidate for AALL’s presidency, Bob asking me if I thought he could be elected. He was concerned that he might be too tainted by the stands he had to take as Washington Affairs Representative in connection with some very divisive controversies that had arisen in our profession. Fortunately, Bob headed my advice and went on to give AALL his all as its president. He will be missed!

Patrick E. Kehoe, Professor Emeritus of Law and Retired Law Library Director, American University and Past President of AALL.

I first met Bob about 1985 when our daughters were Indian Princesses of the Noname tribe (we couldn't all seem to agree on a better name). We spent many enjoyable hours together with our girls - hiking, camping, and exploring. Sometimes we would talk about law and technology (Bob was a ham radio operator like me, holding Extra Class license KD3M). Mostly, however, we just talked about how to build a better campfire or how to enjoy that special time in our daughter's lives.

We stayed in touch over the years. Of course, now I regret the long gaps between our chats. My deepest sympathy to Bob's family.

Robert E. Converse, Jr., Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, LLP

In recent weeks, I have been keenly aware of our loss of Bob Oakley. This leads me to reflect on the many past occasions when I stood with him. For instance, we stood together here at Georgetown in the cafeteria line as well as in many Academic processions and graduations.

But we were, as well, neighbors and dear friends. In the early 1980's, when Bob arrived at the Georgetown Library, he and Madeleine moved into Fallsmead as neighbors. Our daughters, Esther and Carolyn, were both about four years old. When the girls became first graders, Bob encouraged Carolyn and me to join with him and Esther in the "Indian Princess" program. Soon I was standing with Bob and the girls on an Eastern Shore dock as the four of us waited to be assigned a cabin or to go on a boat ride. This was one of several such memorable outings and camping trips during that school year..

Bob and I also stood guard together on neighborhood streets for at least eight Halloweens as the two girls (and eventually Daniel Oakley and Philip, our younger son) all dressed in elaborate costumes, trick or treated.

We also shared several Thanksgiving dinners at each others= home. On one occasion, at Bob and Madeleine=s house, Bob asked each of us to express something for which we wanted to give thanks. The variety and richness of gratitudes was impressive indeed.

In that spirit I would like to say that if Bob were still with us, I am confident he would express to each of you reading this, his deep gratitude for the irreplaceable role that you played in his life.

Since I was fortunate to be a small part of those early Oakley years, I think I can speak for Bob in thanking Madeleine for her extraordinary mothering skills that are so evident in Esther and Daniel. And he would thank you, Esther and Daniel, for the never ending joys you brought to his life.

Professor (Emeritus) John R. Schmertz, Jr.

I ran into Mr. Oakley once at the beginning of my 1L year when I had a simple question about finding a Case Book. I didn't know that it was not his job to show a goofy 1L how to use the library classification system but he was extremely gracious and friendly. I remember that he made me feel very warm about how nice people at Georgetown were during those first few days at the law school. After that, I walked past him a couple of times at the law school. He always smiled and said Hi in a very warm manner. I was very sad to see the news of his passing. All the best to his family and I am sorry for their loss.

Daniel Berner Georgetown Law J.D. '07

I met Bob Oakley in 1976, before I even came to Cornell. I was finishing up my library degree in Syracuse, and Bob was teaching a legal research course for the [then] library school. At that point I was trying not to take classes from the regular faculty, having been largely under-impressed with the regular offerings. Bob's class was very, very different from the regular library school fare.

Bob taught that course as if it were a first year law school legal research course. He used the Socratic method, which meant in this small group you could count on being called on frequently, making it very obvious who hadn't done the readings. (The class shrunk by about 50% after the first session-those who weren't up to the challenge got out fast!) The reading list was extensive, and each week we had a substantial amount of research to do in the SU Law Library. Our final project was a brief on a constitutional issue that might be sufficient as congressional testimony.

We worked like dogs, all of us-Bob was the kind of teacher you wanted to please, and none of us wanted to let him down. I think I ended up with a B+, and I worked harder for that B+ than I had for any of the A's I'd gotten from any other class. Bob's class, for me, was the highlight of my three part-time years as a library school student.

After finishing my degree I looked for a job, without notable success (I was a union shop steward, which made many libraries a bit nervous). Early the following spring (March 17, 1977, to be exact) I interviewed for a job at Cornell Law Library, and asked Bob for a recommendation, which he supplied. Christian Boissonnas (then Head of Technical Services for the Law Library) might well have hired me without it--he wanted someone with serials experience who would argue with him and I certainly fit that bill--but I'd like to think that my enthusiasm for Bob's class and hard-won B+ had something to do with being offered the job the following day.

The things that made Bob a great teacher also made him a wonderful colleague. He was always well prepared, committed to making the library the best it could be, and expected the same from everyone he worked with. Though he sometimes seemed to be a relentlessly serious person, that demeanor hid a great sense of humor and a wonderfully infectious giggle.

This past summer I attended the American Association of Law Libraries annual meeting for the first time in many years, presenting my metadata workshop as a pre-conference. I went to the opening reception to see how many of my old law library colleagues I could run into. I saw many people there I was hoping to see, but not Bob. I didn't know until this week how sorry I would be to have missed him then.

Diane I. Hillmann, Research Librarian
Cornell University (Cornell Law Library, 1977-1995)

Bob Oakley has been a force in law libraries for most of my career. When I first met him, he was a reference librarian at Cornell. In parallel careers at BU and Georgetown for him and Duke and MN for me, we worked together on ABA and AALL committees. I really got to know Bob when I went to LC. Although we often found ourselves on opposit sides of government publishing issues, I was in awe of his knowledge of copyright and his standing among lobbyist, non-profits, and library leaders. Rarely do library organizations have the undivided attention of true leaders. By accident or design, we lucked out.

Bob was always ahead of the curve on library futures issue, but preservation was the issue in which he was able to gather our community to take action, rather than to talk for a decade or more. When I suggested that we tax ourselves to hire staff to implement a born digital agenda, Bob ran with the idea of LIPA with a home at Georgetown.

I find myself still in shock over the death of this vital, gentlemanly friend and colleague. He can't be replaced. I only hope that his death spurs us to work harder to make the LIPA vision a reality.

My prayers are with Bob's family and staff.

Kathleen Price, Associate Dean for Library and Technology and
Clarence J. TeSelle Professor of Law
Fredric G. Levin College of Law, Spessard L. Holland Law Center
University of Florida

Bob Oakley was the extraordinary ingredient in the development of AALL's important place in the world of public affairs. When I became Executive Director in February, 1989, the position of Washington Representative was being developed, and Bob was selected. The year before we were the only major library association not included in a major lobbying campaign. That never happened again.

But we all benefitted from not only his political skills, but from his wisdom, his great fund of common sense, and his endearing personality. I feel a deep sense of personal loss, despite the fact that our paths haven't crossed for many years. He was one of the finest people I had the pleasure of knowing in my years at AALL. Please convey my condolences to his family, and the AALL Board. I know how sincerely he will be missed.

Judy Genesen, AALL Executive Director 1989-1993

What a shock!

For the years that I ran West and Thomson’s North American Legal division, I worked with Bob on a wide variety of issues and committees. He was a gentleman and a scholar, and will be deeply missed. He was a gracious, but determined advocate for AALL.

Please accept my personal condolences, and share my sympathies with all of his friends and colleagues.

Michael Wilens
EVP/CTO THOMSON

The news of the death of Bob Oakley came like a staggering blow to the head and heart. He was a colleague, friend of long standing, and a great law librarian.

I first met Bob, when as an associate law librarian at Cornell in 1977 he was part of the team that interviewed me for a position there. His maturity, his awareness of the potential of law librarianship as a profession, and his justifiable ambition were obvious.

After directing the Boston University law library for several years he moved to Washington in 1982 to assume the law library leadership at Georgetown. The prominent Jesuit university in the nation's capital, envisioned a law school that would stand with the most prestigious law schools in the nation. They chose Bob to forge the development of a library to support the school's immense vision. As Librarian of the Supreme Court, I had a front row seat on Bob's beginning efforts down the "Hill." He recruited and developed outstanding librarians and staff, many of whom have followed his lead in providing superior law library services throughout the land. He expanded the collection with such vigor that twice during his tenure library facilities had to be expanded to respond to the growth of Georgetown legal scholarship. And what facilities they are. There are few examples of law library architecture or design that match the quality and functionality that Bob inspired in the Edward Bennett Williams Law Library Building and John Wolff International and Comparative Law Library within the Hotung Law Center Building.

As president of AALL, the same year Bob took up the leadership of the Georgetown Library, I valued his insightful advice on professional matters related the the Association Constituion and Bylaw which committee he chaired. Even then he exhibited the breadth of vision that would prompt his election in successive decades first to the Executive Board of AALL and then to its Presidency. Unlike many past presidents, Bob's service to the legal profession through law librarianship did not fade in subsequent years. His dedicated leadership as AALL's Washington Affairs Representative highlighted the role and interest of librarians in a wide range of issues impacting the delivery of legal information and its impact on scholarship. The quality of his involvement made him a recognized leader among numerous national library groups and he was frequently called upon to be the lead advocate for the positions of these library organizations.

When Bob was being considered for tenure at Georgetown, I had the honor, as an outside referee, to review his work and offer some evaluation of his stature as a law librarian. I do not have the text of my report to the Georgetown Tenure Committee before me, but I do recall indicating that, in Bob Oakley, Georgetown was blessed with one of the nation's most talented, thoughtful, and well respected law librarians. Several decades on, my view has not changed..

Bob was a giant among us. While his all too early death is a stinging blow, he left a legacy that can inspire all those who follow in his footsteps.

Roger F. Jacobs, Professor of Law and Director of the Kresge Law Library Emeritus
Notre Dame Law School

I send my deepest sympathy to Bob’s family and friends and his colleagues at the Georgetown Law Library and the Law Center. I, like many others, was shocked to learn of Bob’s death. I first met Bob at a South Carolina Library Association meeting shortly after I started library school. I was practicing corporate law and going to library school part-time. Bob happened to be attending this conference.

We talked briefly in Hilton Head and he invited me to stop by Georgetown for a visit if I was ever in Washington. About a year later, I was visiting Washington with my wife and children and I took Bob up on his offer. Bob, Peggy Fry and I had a pleasant lunch and conversation that spring in DC. As others have mentioned, Bob was especially welcoming to those new to the librarian profession.

Our paths crossed again when I had the privilege of serving on the staff at the Georgetown Law Library from 2004-2006. Bob allowed me and others there a great deal of autonomy to pursue our ideas on library service and I thoroughly enjoyed working with the great team of professionals Bob had assembled at Georgetown.

When I departed Georgetown, Bob was gracious beyond belief. His wise counsel and generous support were genuine gifts for which I will be forever grateful.

Duncan Alford
Associate Dean for the Library / Associate Professor of Law
University of South Carolina School of Law
Coleman Karesh Law Library

[…] Whenever I was not sure about so many things, as a new Director, I always called Bob and NEVER got a question not answered. He did so much for Georgetown, for the law librarians world at large, and for his friends. He was not only a great professional, but also a man of vision and action. There are no words to describe his efforts for dissemination of information and preservation of paper and digital legal materials in LIPA. He will be missed at Georgetown, in our Gang-of Ten dinners, in the library community and, last but not least, as a friend and wonderful human being!

Radu D. Popa, Assistant Dean & Director
NYU School of Law Library

The five years I spent at Georgetown were formative for me. I had the support of a great dean and felt I was able to set the library on a positive path. When I left for Harvard in 1981, however, I knew much remained to be done. So I was naturally interested in the person who succeeded me. I did not know Bob well at that time but soon came to know I had left Georgetown in very capable hands. The building he planned (the Williams Library) fits its environement well, returned much needed office and classroom space to the rest of the school, and has a wonderful "feel" about it. The first time I walked in I felt the urge to sit down, put up my feet, and read a book. Bob saw that the collection grew, new services were added, technology was absorbed purposefully. Then he planned a second library, which I had to concede was better than Harvard's second because it had a gym! Bob's contributions to the library profession were significant. He was a strong voice for us in Washington, encouraging government to improve its distribution of information. His vision and energy got the Legal Information Preservation Alliance off the ground. Twice a year I had the opportunity to have dinner with him. Those dinners became my post-graduate education and Bob's views were always influential. He always dealt with the big issues and always from a position of values. As Jim Feinerman reminds us, Bob combined reason and commitment in the best way possible. The fact that AALL has lost its consigleri, however, is not as important as the fact that many of us have lost a friend.

As Mary Oliver said in American Primitive

To live in this world
you must be able
to do three things:
to love what is mortal;
to hold it
against your bones knowing
your own life depends on it;
and, when the time comes to let it go,
to let it go.

But it is not easy.

Terry Martin
Henry N. Ess III Librarian & Professor of Law
Harvard Law School

I’m one of the old timers now, but back in 1983, barely a year after Bob Oakley became Library Director at Georgetown, I was a green and very young librarian, with no experience in legal materials. I had a background in rare books and history, and that seemed enough for him to take a chance on me. I have stayed at Georgetown over the years for a variety of reasons, but by far the most important ones were because he kept making my work interesting, he kept teaching me, he insisted on a shared vision of a library that truly served the Law Center, the University, the community and the world. We shared a love of rare books, of our rich legal heritage. In my 24 years here, he always brought the right people together, working to move the Law Library and the Law Center forward. He never thought of the Law Library as a separate entity. He always spoke in terms of the Law Center, the University, the legal world. He made AALL interesting, and inspired us to serve in many ways. But I never had a chance to say thank you. So I would like to say, thank you Bob, for sharing your vision of what we could be, what we are, with us. Thank you for all the time I spent researching the Law Center’s history, and building a rich Law Center Archives as a result. Thank you for the support you gave me in all the times I have been on disability, and then off, and each time, telling me to just get well and come back, just come home. Thank you for the many discussions on legal history and the rare books we acquired, and for the slow but steady growth of a rare book collection that attracts scholars from all over the world. Thank you for reaching out to the alumni and helping to create the Friends program, LIPA and the new Chesapeake Bay Project in born-digital preservation. Thanks to you and to Barbara for sharing your visit to Spain with me while I waited for my next surgery. Thank you, Bob & Barbara, for letting me share in your joyful wedding. But most of all, thanks, Bob, for your leadership and inspiration as a caring and sensitive man. You’ve been my only boss, but you’ve been by far the best. I feel a deep loss and grief with his passing, but I can hear him now shooing me on, to take all I’ve learned from him, and take the next step forward for Georgetown. He would want us to keep going, to the next step up, the next shared vision. And we will.

Laura A. Bédard
Special Collections Librarian
Georgetown University Law Library

The news came as a shock last weekend, and I am saddened again as I read the tributes to Bob. I only met him in person once, when I first came to GUMC, and never got to work with him much in the 6 months since joining Georgetown. We didn't meet during my interviews, so he made a trip through snow and ice to talk with me on a follow up visit, after the job had been offered, but before I had accepted. He said "Well, you have the job; what can I do to help you now?" He was so proud that about a dozen law librarians who worked for him had gone on to be library directors, and offered to coach me in the negotiation process. He did so with humor and wisdom, and I knew I was getting very good advice. Through the summer, he continued to give me advice by phone and e-mail, and we were planning a get-together in late summer that never came about. Now I am doubly aware of how much I missed out on. My colleagues at Dahlgren Memorial Library share in your loss.

Jett McCann
Director, Dahlgren Memorial Library / Associate Dean for Knowledge Management
Georgetown University Medical Center

We were contemporaries in age, and in our committee work together back in the 70's for AALL. He was a friend, and a mainstay in my career. He cared about all of us, not just the academics, but all of us in AALL. He gave unstintingly of his time, and his energy, and his intellect. He was tireless. When the court was remodeling the library for the third time he spent a whole day with a planner, one of my administrators and a representative from the architect. They had just moved into the beautifully designed facility built before the International Library..the result was a clean and clear path for us as we went into the 1990 renovations, given freely, and without reservation. With his help, and that of Elisabeth Jackson, we were far more convincing to the planners. [As incoming President] in Philadelphia in 2000, saw the State Court group holding its very first committee meeting with trustees in attendance. I chaired that roundtable, and Bob was kind enough to come pay us a vist. With a lot of warmth and good fun he came into the meeting with his loot from the exhibits hall. He sat down and showed the group where you could get what, and how to attend an AALL meeting. Told them where the good parties would be, and what to expect when they attended a session and went to the exhibits hall. Another time he came out on a cold January morning to back me up on a panel at an ALA Midwinter meeting. The courts had just overturned Bounds. v. Smith and the ALA Corrections Section wanted AALL's input. Bob's presence and his shared vision of AALL's technology future paved the way to joint committee work after Bounds, and the improved access to prison libraries. Bob had an exceptional grasp of how best to present issues. He was one of a kind, and will be sorely, truly missed. God be with him, and with his family and co-workers in this sorrowful time. Sincerely,

Pamela J. Gregory
Director Emerita
Prince George's County Law Library

I am saddened at the passing of Bob Oakley. I followed his career with pleasure and admiration. He was an inspiring professional, a very good person, and a very good law librarian.

Mortimer Schwartz, Professor of Law Emeritus and Associate Dean for Law Library, University of California, Davis.

More than twenty-five years ago, my late friend and then Harvard Law Dean Al Sachs commented upon the exhausting demands of a librarian search and said that no dean should have to do it twice. He was setting me up for an apology; Harvard had just recruited the GULC Law Librarian I had recently hired, Terry Martin, to be their Law Librarian. Given Al's "caring nature" on the matter, I picked his brains and learned that the Harvard choice had come down to two people: Terry and Bob Oakley of Boston U. We followed up and recruited Bob to be our librarian. It was a wonderful and fortunate choice for us! Bob took over a small library (the longer toothed among us can remember when the library was in McDonough) with its numerous challenges. He also immediately fully participated in this community, serving on central Law Center committees and the like. He was of course the major contributor to the planning of the Williams Library, and, I imagine, of the Hotung library space that relieved space needs in Williams. The details of his contributions would overwhelm us. Suffice it to say that he built Georgetown into one of a small handful of great American law libraries, a hallmark of this law center, and in the process trained and launched excellent librarians to other institutions as well. I know that my frequent focus on institution builders has become expected. But I can think of no better example of what I mean than Bob Oakley and his contributions. We shall miss his friendship, collegiality, sense of humor, and creativity. We shall miss the inevitable accomplishments yet to come if he had lived. We shall miss him.

David J. McCarthy, Jr,
Dean Emeritus, Georgetown University Law Center

I interviewed Bob Oakley for a position at the Tarlton Law Library, as was my wont then, by the swimming pool in Buffalo, New York, at a conference that I was directing. He was then on the Cornell law library staff. He decided not to take the position that I offered him at Tarlton. I never knew if his decision was based on a better offer or because of the poolside interview with me. At Georgetown, Bob followed Terry Martin, whom I had recommended for the position after my consulting with the Dean on the needs of the law library. Terry brought Georgetown law library to a competitive status, and then Bob made it into a premier institution. Bob was a good friend, a colleague for whom I had great admiration. He will be remembered for his stellar contributions to Georgetown and to the law library profession.

Professor Roy M. Mersky
Harry M. Reasoner Regents Chair in Law and Director of Research
The Jamail Center for Legal Research
Tarlton Law Library

Bob’s bold vision for law libraries is one his many good qualities I admire most. Early in his career, he told me he modeled himself after Harry Bitner, the highly regarded Cornell law librarian who Bob once worked under, and one always could see a bit of Harry in Bob's professional wardrobe, but I imagine Bob’s mark on law libraries may well surpass that of his mentor. Bob’s seemingly tireless passion and remarkably effective advocacy on behalf of law libraries has benefited all of us, and his early departure from life is a loss we all share.

S. Blair Kauffman
Law Librarian and Professor of Law
Yale Law School

The past few days have been difficult ones for many people who knew Bob Oakley. I am no exception. Although nine years have passed since I left Georgetown, my emotional response to Bob’s death was an immediate and strong connection to the Georgetown community. For me, Bob was an important member of that world of supportive and caring people. From my first days at GULL in 1983 until I left in 1998, Bob was always available as a director, a colleague and, of course, a friend. The law librarians Bob hired at GULL worked together as a great team to accomplish great goals. Even though it was not always easy, I am proud of what we built. I hope and want to believe that he was proud of us, too. I will miss his support, his humor and his friendship.

Ellen G. Schaffer,
Chief Librarian, United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean,
Santiago, Chile

When I chaired CRIV and Bob was AALL President, he strongly supported our efforts on behalf of law library consumers. In fact, one of his main activities as President was to personally visit with the heads of each of the major vendors to express law librarians' concerns about price increases and other consumer issues. He will be sorely missed as an advocate and we should be inspired by his example.

Christine Graesser, Legal Information Specialist, Brown Rudnick

When I was still relatively new to the profession, I knew the name “Bob Oakley” and was in awe of – and more than a bit intimidated by- AALL members of his level, status, and rank. That all changed when we were in an elevator together at a long-ago AALL meeting. He was speaking with another AALL member about their shared love of folk dancing. Being an avid folk dancer at the time, it gave me the chutzpah to join the conversation. Right then and there my view of Bob changed. While I remain to this day in awe of his accomplishments as a law librarian, and for the profession as a whole, that short conversation opened me to the warm, friendly, nurturing side of Bob that we all loved. My recent time on the AALL Executive Board was made even more memorable because of Bob’s presence at the meetings. He championed those who raised the less popular “but we also need to consider” points of view, the “devil’s advocate comments” that he recognized as crucial to the discussion. But that was Bob… he championed all that we stand for, and you knew he loved doing it. His presence and demeanor brought respect and admiration. He will be greatly missed…

Merle J. Slyhoff, Collection Development & Document Delivery Services Librarian
Biddle Law Library, University of Pennsylvania

In January, 1968, the New York Times Sunday Magazine printed a speech prepared by George F. Kennan for the dedication of a new library at Swarthmore College under the title “Rebels Without a Program.” The response from students and teachers on the campuses was so great that a book was prepared, entitled Democracy and the Student Left. Among the student respondents was the young Bob Oakley; I’ve reproduced his entire letter below.

Kennan’s basic message was that student radicals opposing the Vietnam War had ruined their universities as bastions of detached scholarship and serious learning. He decried both their violent and non-violent protests and civil disobedience as emotional and misdirected – before the events at Columbia in 1968, Cornell and Harvard in 1969 and Yale and Kent State in 1970! Bob’s letter was a rare combination of reason and balance, allowing that Mr. Kennan might have a point but speaking very poignantly and personally about the dilemmas that his generation faced. It made a deep impression on me a year later when I read it as a college freshman myself. When I finally met Bob when I first came to Georgetown, I asked him if he was “the Bob Oakley.” Assuming I meant the State Department official with the same name, Bob modestly said, “No – I’m the librarian Bob Oakley.” But when I pressed as to whether he wrote the letter responding to George Kennan, he owned up to being that Bob Oakley, a little surprised that anyone still remembered.

In an afterword in the book, replying to the letters, Kennan set out his ultimate position:

In the final analysis, the question of civil disobedience is, I am sure, a matter of temperament. Humanity divides, it has been said, between those who, in the political philosophy, place the emphasis on order and those who place it on justice. I belong in the first of those categories. Human justice is always imperfect. The laws on which it bases itself are always to some extent unjust. These laws have therefore only a relative value; and it is only relative benefits that can be expected from the efforts to improve them. But the good order of society is something tangible and solid.

As Bob’s letter to Kennan, set out below indicates, even as a college senior he understood that this was a false dichotomy. He spent the rest of his life, in his chosen field, demonstrating by his work that one could attempt to achieve both order and justice.

Ithaca, N.Y., January 23, 1968

To the Editor:

Mr. Kennan's article about the relationship between detachment and genuine scholarship has certainly been needed for a long time. It is an article which I hope everyone in the New Left will read with care. The ultimate truth of what Kennan says I cannot deny, but an indication of causes for the loss of detachment is, I fear, absent from his analysis.

Students today are increasingly faced with the knowledge that their scholarly pursuits are strictly limited, that soon they will be forcefully taken to perform menial tasks to contribute to a war they dislike. Or worse, they know they may be put into a position of sacrificing their lives for what they see as rather nebulous and hardly noble goals, pursuant to a policy which they find abhorrent and in which they seem to have no voice. It is extremely difficult to maintain a sense of detachment with one's thoughts subject to constant interruption by such prospects. The presence of those who profit by deluding others is another disruptive force on campus. Among these pushers I include not only those who sell drugs which lead to a retreat from reality but also those who come with a propaganda message, not with a deep concern for the truth. Recruiters, particularly those of the military, come with such an aim. Military men are trained in the art of warfare, their recruiters, perhaps in the art of rhetoric, but not in the quest for truth; their presence, then, is just as destructive to a sense of detachment as the presence of those “students” whose primary concern is commitment, regardless of the truth of what they are committed to. Perhaps the very openness of the modern academic community has been partly responsible for this crisis in scholarship: one must expect that encroachment by the outside world will have its effect by making students aware that they are not detached.

One also wonders at the priorities of the government which commits crimes against scholarship by channeling it according to their wishes. They permit those whose goal is to delve into the intricacies of nature (usually called scientists) to continue their education because the products of such tinkering are immediately accessible and important: they lead to better bridges, television sets, and bombs. But those dedicated to the discovery of human truths, hopefully leading to understanding and peace – a task which requires far more detachment – are forced to live with constant uncertainty.

One must certainly admire a man like Mr. Kennan who can remain detached. Even though many, for various reasons, feel more attraction to commitment than detachment, those of us who prefer the latter often cannot find it. This summer I will be faced with the decision of whether to accept the duties this society demands, and deny my conscience, or to do something else, and perhaps lead a life of great trial and difficulty thenceforth. Facing such alternatives as these, detachment is a difficult road to follow.

The modern university often sees itself, as does the outside community, as a service institution for the community, rather than a place where pursuit of truth and knowledge, simply, is the highest end. This explains the current vogue emphasizing science; it explains the presence of recruiters; and, it also explains why there are draft deferments. Perhaps the real source of the crisis today is that our massive multiversities are becoming mere vocational schools, instead of places for consideration of the eternal questions and truths about man.

Mr. Kennan described the symptoms of what I, with him, consider to be a crisis in scholarship. What remains to be done is to suggest a means of re-creating the genuine student, that is, to provide an atmosphere where detached, leisured pursuit of truth and knowledge is once again possible.

ROBERT L. OAKLEY
Senior in the Department of Government

Jim Feinerman, Co-Director, Asian Law and Policy Studies Director, Asian Law and Policy Studies; James M. Morita Professor of Asian Legal Studies, Georgetown Law

My memories of Bob Oakley began as a graduate student using his library, and my respect and admiration grew over the years as I became a member of the library staff in Special Collections and then an adjunct member of the faculty. Through it all his quiet steady presence was always there. I knew that his door was always open should anyone need his support and advice. Bob truly cared - that's what always shone through - and, not just about professional development and academic achievements. He was also dedicated to and involved in the social and familial community that makes Georgetown Law such a special place to be. Knowing Bob helped me decide to put out my roots, so to speak, and make the most of my life at Georgetown Law and for that I will always be grateful. We will all miss him more than mere words can convey.

Erin Rahne Kidwell
Adjunct Professor, Georgetown Law
Special Collections Assistant, Georgetown Law Library

We used to refer (somewhat begrudgingly) to the Law Library as “the Pentagon,” because it always seemed to exercise a priority claim over any and all resources; in the Law Center's annual grappling over money, personnel, and space, there were some winners and some losers, but whatever else might surge or slacken, the Law Library always seemed to get its full share. But unlike the real Pentagon, Bob Oakley managed his bailiwick with intelligence, wisdom, and grace – it wasn’t “his” library; he made it “our” library, and he always put a priority on client service. No matter how peculiar our requests, he found a way to meet them; he made sure that the whole staff became models of sensitivity, responsiveness and excellence. And he managed to do it all with a twinkle in his eye.

David A. Koplow, Director, Center for Applied Legal Studies; Professor of Law, Georgetown Law

I often think of Bob Oakley as a friendly angel. I met him in 2000, about two years into my life as a professor. My study of scholarly publishing markets was still in an early phase, and Bob contacted me to see whether I might be interested in examining legal publishing. He had been concerned about price increases since at least the early 1990s, and wanted to know whether the wave of mergers during that decade might be associated with the increases. He offered me data from the the Georgetown Law library, a fine team of law librarians to assist me, and AALL funding for research assistants. How could I say no? During the past decade I have had the good fortune to work with many people in the library community. But Bob Oakley was exceptional, as a person, as a leader, and yes, as an angel.

Mark J. McCabe
Ross School of Business
School of Information
University of Michigan

As one of the ten or more Georgetown Law Library alums who have gone on to become academic law library directors, its hard to imagine a group of people who could have had a better mentor and role model than Bob Oakley. Working with Bob and the brilliant team he always assembled at GULL was one of the greatest joys of my life. We all draw on professional and personal examples that guide us in our own careers and lives and Bob’s impact on so many of us was profound. Despite my relatively short period of working directly for Bob and the many years that have passed since, I still find myself thinking about problems and challenges by considering “what Oakley would do.” His encouragement and support for the pursuit of my first directorship at Richmond, a job he knew I would have a special interest in despite having been at Georgetown for an unconscionably short period of time, was a measure of the consummate professional and, perhaps more importantly, the really fine man that Bob was. Bob had the enviable opportunity to recruit some wonderful people at GULL, but he knew that many would move on to their own professional success. Far from begrudging that, he couldn’t have been more supportive and encouraging. Thanks, Bob, for all you did for me and others like me. I hope we made you proud.

Steve Hinckley
Associate Dean for Library and Information Services and
Professor of Law
Penn State University/Dickinson School of Law

Bob Oakley gave me an opportunity to be a Chair of an AALL Committee some years ago. I will always be grateful for his confidence in me. Someone called him a giant, and I totally agree with that. His colleagues and the world have lost a very fine person and a wonderful contributor to librarianship and law librarianship. God speed, Bob!

Sally Wambold, Law School Library, University of Richmond

This is such a loss for me, and for us all. Bob Oakley was Library Director at Georgetown in 1991 when he gave me my first academic law library position, and lots of space and encouragement to grow. Looking back, I appreciate so much Bob's quiet support and encouragement during the 10 years I spent in the Library. Bob supported me fully when I decided to apply to law school at Georgetown, and throughout my four years as a combination student/employee. He encouraged me when I left to practice, and again when I decided to come back to librarianship. Bob was particularly gifted in balancing the macro and the micro. He was able to see the big picture, developing a vital but flexible strategic plan for the Library, while also attending to the important details that make a workplace a pleasant place to be. As many have noted, his contributions to the profession are immeasurable. I will continue to remember fondly his heartfelt speeches at the annual Holiday party, his frequent chuckles, and his willingness to listen to ideas from staff at every level. I wish his family comfort, and my thoughts are with my former colleagues, and other staff at GULL who must feel the loss even more keenly than I do.

Karen Storin Linitz Head, Langdell Reference Dept. Harvard Law School Library

Yes, Bob Oakley was a fabulous advocate for the members of American Association of Law Libraries as our Washington Representative. He gave of his time freely to help anyone who asked him to clarify issues and conduct legislative advocacy workshops for chapters. But, what I will carry with me about Bob Oakley that he was kind. His life was a life well lived. I’ll miss you Bob.

Shirley David, Sacramento County Public Law, Librarian Emerita

I had the good fortune to speak with Bob at each of the past three AALL Annual Meetings, and to work with him in AALL Committees. Bob's accomplishments throughout his long and distinguished career are self-evident, but I will always remember his genuine and earnest interest in younger law librarians and those of us new to the profession, as I was when I first met him. His dedication to principled IP policy and information access was as sincere as his willingness to encourage and mentor new arrivals to law librarianship. His accomplishments leave a rich intellectual legacy, but his personality, his very spirit, enriched everyone who ever got to know him. We will miss him terribly.

Dennis Kim-Prieto, J.D., M.S.L.I.S., M.F.A. Reference Librarian Rutgers School of Law -- Newark

Bob Oakley was the Library Director at Georgetown when I arrived in 1985, fresh out of a stint in the Peace Corps for my first “real” library job. Bob was an inspiration to me – a director who cherished a bright vision of the future while managing the day-to-day details of a large operation with aplomb. During the many intervening years of my library career, I often cite my experiences at Georgetown under Bob’s leadership as crucial to my understanding of what a great library can be. My thoughts are with his family, and with the many longtime GULL staff who must be missing him so much.

Kathleen (Kate) Stacey
Head of Technical Services, Edwin H. Mookini Library
University of Hawaii at Hilo

Cataloger/Acquisitions Librarian, Georgetown Law Library, 1985-1989

Bob is one of the small cadre of librarians who first inspired me to go into librarianship. As I worked with him on AALL's Copyright and Government Relations Committee and observed his work with LIPA, I gained deep respect for his intellect, scholarship, judgment and political savvy. The community of law librarianship has suffered a great loss.

Paul D. Callister, JD, MSLIS
Director of the Leon E. Bloch Law Library & Associate Professor of Law
University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law

The news of Bob’s passing is a tragedy for his family and for numerous colleagues throughout the world who benefited from his insights, wisdom, and principled perseverance. For those of us immersed in copyright law, Bob was a titan. He was present in the early years of our struggles with fair use and Section 108, just as the first computers and other new technologies were testing the law and opening new opportunities for libraries. He brought clear thinking to the challenges, and he set the debates on a constructive course. Bob had the extraordinary ability to see the right issues and to bring sound criticism to the task. Bob’s early studies of the preservation problem eventually led Congress to reexamine the language of Section 108. His delightful charm allowed him to effectively mediate discussion of thorny issues amidst sharp conflict. Most of all, he stood by his principles, and he always had a welcoming smile for anyone entering the debate. Bob was a powerful and important force. He made an important difference. Our hearts are with his family, but in our heads we realize that no one will take Bob’s place.

Kenneth Crews
The Samuel R. Rosen Professor of Law
Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis
Director, Copyright Management Center

I will never forget the fun we had when we folk danced together. It is very rare to find an American who knows the music from my native land. Bob was so happy when dancing the Balkan and Eastern European “oro” – he even managed to get few of our reluctant library staff to join the circle and dance together. He will always be remembered for his gentle spirit. Bob found a way to connect with each library staff member.

Marina Marina Veljanovska, Collection Services Assistant, Georgetown Law Library

Back in the 1980’s, many law libraries began to build extensive research collections as we saw the beginnings of interdisciplinary legal research and the more frequent use, in older research library collections, of international, comparative and foreign legal sources, both primary and secondary. However, it would have taken foresight and planning for many law libraries to understand what building an international legal collection comparable to those at older institutions might entail. Unlike legal research in American law, which may only infrequently require research in materials from the 19th or early 20th century, legal research in international law continuously draws upon historic and classic materials based upon established works from what Article 38 of the Statute of the International Court of Justice calls …”the teachings of the most highly qualified publicists of the various nations, as subsidiary means for the determination of rules of law.”

When Bob hired Ellen Schaffer to help build a foundation for, and a current, updated collection of, international legal materials, he could not have known for sure then that by 2007 the curriculum guide for Georgetown would boast over ten clusters of courses specifically designated as international, and many more with international or transnational components integrated into the course. A week of intensive introduction to the concepts and problems in international and comparative law would become part of the first year experience for law students. With judicious study and careful selection, they purchased the older sets and materials necessary to provide access to authentic copies of treaties, both for the U.S. and involving other jurisdictions. Appropriate foreign materials were acquired and a tradition of cooperation with the Library of Congress and its fine collections began. All of this would not have happened without Bob’s leadership. I am but the latest beneficiary of the opportunity to work with the collection and to continue to shape if for the needs of legal practice in a globalized economy.

Bob was able to see the ways that the John Wolff International and Comparative Law Library would further promote and enhance the law Center’s focus on international and comparative law and set in motion the planning and energy that was so evident in the building of the Edward Bennett Williams Library. Washington is the richer for all that he contributed to the acquisition and preservation of legal materials.

Finally, a big thank you- thanks, Bob, for having confidence in me and allowing me to join the journey to a new library and a new set of challenges for myself as a manager and legal information specialist. I will miss the humor and sharp insight into issues. Thanks for making the profession so professional and the job so much fun.

Marylin J. Raisch, J.D., M.L.S., M.Litt. (Oxon.)
Associate Law Librarian for International and Comparative Law
Georgetown Law Library

My condolences to you and all the staff at the law library. I remember my visit there 8 years ago so vividly - it was one of those marvellous models of a law library to which all of us who run law libraries aspire to, and it was such a credit to Bob and all the staff. And I always found his contributions on the LawLib Directors list, and other lists, extremely useful and interesting. His presence there, as elsewhere, will be missed. My thoughts are with you all.

Ruth Bird, Bodleian Law Librarian, Bodleian Law Library, University of Oxford

Not many members of the Georgetown Law Center family go back to the days before Bob Oakley's arrival here in 1982. When I joined the faculty in 1973 the library was not in very good shape. With the help of a string of deans and the willingness of the finance committee to spend money, the library began a gradual climb out of the doldrums. Terry Martin, now the librarian at Harvard Law School, joined us a few years before Bob. He began the process of analyzing the collection and filling in weak spots. When he moved north, a committee led by Steve Goldberg began an intentsive search for a top notch librarian and Bob joined us. Changes then came in fairly rapid order. His persuasiveness led to dramatic budget increases and, with the encouragement of Dean Dave McCarthy, serious planning began to build a new library. It was during my service on the committee that planned the Williams Library that I realized what an important figure Bob was for Georgetown. His knowledge, acumen and careful planning were crucial to the construction of one of the finest library buildings in the nation. And, of course, the physical surroundings mirror the quality of what's inside--one of the best collections of legal materials anywhere. Whether Bob can ever be replaced is an open question. But there can be no doubt of the important role he played in moving Georgetown from an average law school to a great one.

Richard Chused, Professor of Law, Georgetown Law

Bob Oakley was a visionary – a visionary with a heart. Almost 20 years ago I came to him with an idea – a National Equal Justice Library. The purpose was to preserve the archival and published history of civil legal aid and indigent criminal defense services and make that history available to policymakers, researchers, students, and to posterity. It was backed by the American Bar Association, the National Legal Aid and Defender Association, and the American Association of Law Libraries. We discussed the possibility of housing that new national library in what was then the nearly brand new law library building at Georgetown. Bob saw this as a part of his vision for the Georgetown Law Library -- viewing it as a perfect fit for what he felt Georgetown Law was all about. Unfortunately, in the end he was unable to find the dedicated space the NEJL board felt essential. Nonetheless, Bob generously offered to store any papers that we might collect while we were locating a proper home for the NEJL – an offer we gladly accepted.

Along the way, we did find a first home for the NEJL at American University. But in 2002 when we were looking to move the Library to a new location, I recalled that early conversation with Bob in 1989. Perhaps we could end up with our first choice, after all. So I called and then traveled to DC to meet with Bob. Again he wanted the National Equal Justice Library at his institution. By this time, it was far more than an idea, however. It was over 1500 books, several hundred boxes of unpublished papers, more than 70 videotaped oral history videotapes, and even a substantial collection of publications about legal aid in other countries.

At first, Bob wasn’t sure he could find the space for this set of collections. But he refused to give up. We kept meeting and negotiating and looking at different options for nearly two years. Then when I arrived for what I feared might be our last meeting, Bob said with barely disguised glee, “I think we’ve finally found the space.” A few months later, the Memorandum of Understanding was signed and we were on our way. Last year Bob found the NEJL a terrific archivist to organize the archival papers and otherwise make that library run – Anne Marr.

The board and those otherwise involved with the National Equal Justice Library –and, in reality, all the civil legal services lawyers and public defenders in the nation –owe Bob Oakley a profound debt of gratitude. Because of him, their history has found a permanent home and thus saved for the current generation and generations beyond. He knew this in his heart, which is why he labored so hard to find that home at his library. It is a shame he couldn’t be around to enjoy the full fruits of his labors.

As one who spent years meeting with him about something that meant so much to him – and in the process to see and know him up close – I developed great affection as well as respect for Bob Oakley. I will miss him personally for what he was as a person, just as the National Equal Justice Library will miss him for his dedication to the goals and values that institution exemplifies. We have all lost a wonderful man.

Earl Johnson, Justice, California Court of Appeal
Chair, Site Relocation Committee and Executive Committee member
Consortium for the National Equal Justice Library, Inc.

During Bob’s tenure as librarian, I created two writing seminars in areas of the law where Georgetown had offered no previous courses: Jewish Law and Alternative, Complimentary, and Integrative Medicine, the Legal Issues. In each area we had little if any library resources. Bob was very willing to help build these resources, to create a library of material where we had little, if any. These as only two examples of what he has done throughout the Law Center curriculum. And he did it with such willingness and such grace. Truly, without him this Law Center could not be the first-rank institution that it is today. We will be forever grateful. Moreover, those of us who had the pleasure of knowing and working with Bob Oakley will forever know that we have lost a real friend. May his grieving family find some solace in knowing that there are hundreds, if not thousands, of colleagues here and elsewhere in the legal community who will forever remember and be grateful for his contributions and his friendship.

Sherman L. Cohn, Professor of Law, Georgetown Law

On behalf of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries and in particular our president, Anne Matthewman, I would like to extend our condolences to Bob Oakley's family, as well as to his family at the American Association of Law Libraries. Anne is on vacation, but called to ask me to contact AALL and express our sympathies at this time. I know she will be in contact with Bob`s family and write formally to AALL on her return.

The work of the Washington Affairs office has often been cited in Canada as a shining example of what our own association should be doing, and I know it is one of Anne Matthewman`s hopes that she will be able to create a similar type of lobby effort within CALL. Her work with Bob Oakley while on the AALL Executive Board will no doubt inform her plans as she moves forward. We remember Bob Oakley`s many contributions to AALL and deeply regret his untimely passing.

From your colleagues in Canada.

Rosalie Fox
Vice President, Canadian Association of Law Libraries / Association canadienne des bibliothèques de droit

This is shocking and distressing news. As an advocate for legal and other database publishers, I had the pleasure of jousting with Bob Oakley many times over the past 18 years or so on information policy and copyright issues. "Pleasure" is not a figure of speech, but a literal description of the experience of debating (and sometimes even agreeing with!) such a fair-minded, well-informed, responsible and articulate adversary. He will be greatly missed.

Steven J. Metalitz, Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP (Washington, D.C.)

My heart goes out to all Bob's family, friends and colleagues. Please accept my deepest condolences. I knew Bob through his work with SERU (Shared E-Resources Understanding), when he agreed to help us through the maze of implied and explicit contract law. I cannot claim to have known him closely, but his energy, generosity, wit and willingness to engage his intellect on this issue was so much appreciated. I always looked forward to our conversations, enjoyed his writing, and valued his perspectives. He kept us from wandering off the path, and did so with a light touch and great sense of humor. I will miss him enormously.

Selden Durgom Lamoureux, Electronic Resources Librarian, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

While everybody is praising Bob OakIey for his professional achievement as our Librarian, let me add a small detail - in praise of his humanity. One day he told me that he loved the music of gipsy dances from Hungary (e.g., csardas) - the music is fast moving, the dance goes from slow steps into wild swirling - Bob even made an effort to imitate it. I have a disc for him from Hungary - to be given to him ...

May his memory be blessed.

Les Orsy , Visiting Professor of Law, Georgetown Law

Colleagues: I am shocked. I will miss Bob so much. I will miss his deeply humanitarian understanding of the role of the modern law library. I will never forget how energetic he was in both responding to my requests and in initiating the library's involvement in my research on racial violence in the post-Civil War era. He was one of a kind, a thoughtful imaginative leader of the rapidly changing terrain of law library management. He was a quiet friend to so many of us.

Emma Coleman Jordan, Professor of Law, Georgetown Law

For the past decade or so, I had the great privilege of working alongside Bob on copyright reform issues. He was a tireless and creative advocate for open access to information, and a wise and warm-hearted colleague. I will miss him very much.

Julie Cohen, Professor of Law, Georgetown Law

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