|
Long was one of the most generous and open scholars that a young scholar could ever hope to meet. I met him for the first time in Seattle at a workshop at the University of Washington, where I was a graduate student. This was in 2006 or 2007. Long and I became fast friends, although I am sure that many attending this event knew Long more intimately and for far longer than I did. Many things made Long a remarkable human being - his energetic connection to present day Vietnam, his passion for historical research, and his deep sense of professional ethics. For me, Long made the deepest impression with his unwavering insistence that scholars are scholars, regardless of age, rank, or academic appointment (or lack thereof). As someone who finished a Ph D in 2008, when positions became hard to find, Long’s generous spirit and unflagging encouragement was a lifeline. It was also a lesson on mentorship and the power of the human spirit. I will miss Long, but I also know that there is a bit of Long in the world for quite some time yet.
Bradley Camp Davis
|