Douglas Sturm: A Tribute to a Friend and Mentor

Extract

It was my good fortune to meet Doug Sturm at a conference at Harvard in the late '70s. At that conference, Doug was instrumental in founding the Council on Religion and Law (CORAL). After the Council was formed, Doug promoted the idea of a journal. I can assure you that this was not motivated by his desire to be published, since Doug has probably published more on law and religion than any other person I know.

After an unsuccessful effort to publish the Journal myself, we convinced Hamline Law School to be the home of the Journal and to provide the editorial staff. Doug was the obvious choice to chair the Editorial Board.

So, I have had the pleasure of seeing Doug in Boston at meetings of CORAL, in Minnesota at meetings of The Journal of Law and Religion editorial board, and at various conferences. I have also been to Doug and Margie's home to discover their wonderful hospitality.

I am not one of the favored few who have sat at Doug's feet as a student. I have stood with others around his piano singing old labor union songs. I have had the good fortune of listening to him, talking with him, and having him listen to me. I have also read his works. Early on in our relationship, I asked him to send me everything that he wrote and he has faithfully done so.