George,

May I hadd a comment to U.J.'s eloquent remarks on John Hope Franklin? I wrote the following for the web page of my publisher:

I saw John Hope for the last time two years ago. I was in a large auditorium [Culbreth Hall] where he was to speak about his autobiography. He entered by a side door, spied me, walked to where I was standing and gave me one of those John Hope Franklin bear hugs with which I had been familiar for almost half a century. He stood tall as he strode toward me, shoulders back, smile broad. I thought he must be immortal.

The world knows John Hope through the multitude of his books, essays, and speeches that have shed powerful light on the hopes, failures, achievements, and complexities of our nation. The hundreds and more who have known him up close, as counselor and friend, are now bereft of one who was always there with praise and prodding, formed by his abiding care for who we were, what we needed, and how he might help.

Paul M. Gaston (Electronic mail, March 29, 2009)