Students at the university of illinois where we both were studying under harold hymen, one of the greatest of the field of constitutional history and reconstruction. And although les received his b. A. And masters degree at the university of illinois, where he was able to root for his beloved chicago cubs, he later disserted that by going to Rice University when professor hymen moved there and received his ph. D. At Rice University where unlike many people he published not just one book out of his dissertation but two. And fortunately one of his books that he published out of his dissertation arrived at a perhaps auspicious time, the impeachment of Andrew Johnson in 1973. You may know what else happened in 1973. Les, as though of us who know him call him, has also been president of the society for historians of the guilded age. He was also a distinguished lecturer for that organization. And a very important mover in that organization, but les has also been extremely active as an author