I am very sad to report the death of one of our most esteemed authors, Kermit Hall, in a swimming accident yesterday afternoon. Kermit was the editor of The Oxford Companion to the Supreme Court, The Oxford Companion to American Law, and The Judicial Branch in the Institutions of American Democracy series, and author of The Magic Mirror: Law in American History, among many other books. At his death he was working with us on the final stages of The Pursuit of Justice: Supreme Court Decisions that Shaped America, co-authored with John J. Patrick. He was president of the SUNY University at Albany and former president of Utah State University.

Kermit was everything one could want in an author: an accomplished scholar, of course, but also a consummate gentleman with a dry and much-appreciated sense of humor. He was a good friend who was never too busy to answer a query, recommend a reviewer, or send an email that put a smile on his editor's face. We will miss him greatly.