We are very sorry to report the passing of Paul R. Hyams, professor emeritus of history at Cornell University on December 4 at the age of 82. In Cornell’s excellent notice, students and colleagues recall him as a generous mentor. “He could spend hours dissecting a historical problem, or asking questions about a new project, or debating the details of your work,” Nicole Marafioti said. “Conversations with Paul lasted for years and were never really finished; we could always pick up where we left off, with a new idea or fresh insight.” Ada Kuskowski said that he “enjoyed being somewhat of a gadfly, in the Socratic sense, at scholarly gatherings, challenging established scholars and making everyone rethink what they thought they knew,” while also acting as “the absolute champion of graduate students and junior scholars.” A special issue of Reading Medieval Studies, “Law’s Dominion in the Middle Ages: Essays for Paul Hyams,” was devoted to him.
--Dan Ernst
