Editorial: Hello, Farewell, and Some Last Ruminations

Abstract

By now, most regular readers will have heard that Mark J. Kasoff, Professor of Economics and Director of Canadian Studies at Bowling Green State University, has been appointed Editor, The American Review of Canadian Studies. He began his work early this year, but he took over officially on July 1 (a propitious date for such a transition, to be sure). Our hope is that from the ARCS reader's point-of-view, the change will be largely seamless: I am editing the first two issues of 2002 while the Autumn number will be a joint effort--the preliminary editorial work will be done here at St. Lawrence while the production work (typesetting, printing, and mailing) will be handled at Bowling Green. Submissions or inquiries will be fielded from each office until the transition has been effected. For several reasons, such a moment as this calls for rumination and comment. And since it's also my last chance as Editor to do both in a public way in these pages, I'm not letting the chance pass--besides, I need to offer congratulation, thanks, and farewell. First, congratulations are very much in order to Mark Kasoff, whom I first met during the 1930s when he was Chair of Economics at the State University of New York College at Potsdam. At the time, he was working with colleagues on transborder trade issues in Northern New York. Since then, I have come to know him as key participant in various Canadian Studies gatherings, most especially during his term on the ACSUS Executive Council. Prior to coming to Potsdam State, Mark taught at Antioch College after completing his graduate work at Indiana University. In 1991, Mark was appointed founding Director of Canadian Studies at Bowling Green. Since then, I have watched the development of Canadian Studies there with interest. Mark has done exceptional work in Canadian Studies at Bowling Green. And having taught at a private college and two state universities, his experience in academe is deep. As a scholar, he has published broadly on economics and trade issues, most especially Canada-U.S. Beyond these considerations, Mark--along with Mary Kirtz of the University of Akron--has led the Ohio Canadian Studies Roundtable, an innovative and very successful regional initiative focused on Canada. All of this--and more, to be sure--convinces me that we are all fortunate to have Mark Kasoff as our new Editor. I offer him hearty congratulation and, knowing the work involved, both good luck and much energy. Professor Kasoff's appointment by the ACSUS Executive Council came after a national search for both a new editor and a new university home--the latter being as necessary as the former, since most of the financial support of an Editor's work is provided not by ACSUS but by the Editor's home institution. Thus members of ACSUS need to be grateful, now, to Bowling Green for helping to make ARCS possible just as we have appreciated the same support from St. Lawrence University for my own editorial work since 1988. Before then, the University of Vermont and, to a lesser extent, the University of Maine provided ACSUS with similar support for the journal's operations. In addition to institutional support and Mark Kasoff, Bowling Green is also home to well over twenty other faculty participating in Canadian Studies--some of these people, doubtless, will emerge in editorial capacities in the time to come. Without question, Mark has considerable expertise among his own faculty colleagues on which he will draw. As chair of the committee seeking applicants, I fielded inquiries and had many conversations over the fall and early into 2002 about ARCS and just what is involved in its operation and production. As Editor, I was edified by the interest shown by many members of the Association and, especially, by the numerous positive things people wrote and said about the journal's effect. Without naming anyone beyond Mark, I want to publicly thank all those who spoke to me and, especially, all those who had a hand in an application--we appreciate the time and trouble they took, and we especially appreciate the support of administrators who saw the importance of institutional support for scholarly publication. …