Thanks, Roy

Anyone who crossed paths with Roy knows he was a clearinghouse of generosity. One facet of this was his part time work as a one man job agency; he was always thinking about who would be good for a job, who needed a job, who might want to talk to someone who might know of a job...

I benefited from this at one of the RHR picnics in the late 80s when he mentioned that GMU had a job in British history and I should consider applying for it. I did, I got it, and now, 19+ years later, I am so grateful that I had the chance to be Roy's friend and colleague.

But I am proud that I can legitimately claim to have helped Roy get a job. It was early graduate school for me and I was lurking in the hotel corridors at an AHA conference. I was not yet interviewing for jobs and did not know a lot of people outside of the graduate students at various places and people connected to RHR. But I did know Prof. X, Chair of the History Department at a Boston area university--I had been a TA for him when I took a year off from my studies and was living in Somerville, hanging out with Harvard grad students.

X's department had a position in American history and Roy, who was then in Worcester, had applied for it. X had just interviewed Roy, so I immediately started to extol his professional virtues. I had barely started, though the list was already long, when X stopped me and said something like "yes, yes... we know all that, we know he's amazing and working on many exciting and important projects." No question, X agreed, Roy was incredibly accomplished. But they had a serious concern: could they live with him? what was it like to have lunch with him? he seemed too accomplished, too active to also be a person you wanted to spend time with, someone to relax with.

I was able to rattle off an equally long list of Roy's many qualities as a friend, his understated but pithy humor, the mischievous look in his eyes when telling a story. Whatever I said, I later learned, it had an impact; no doubt Roy was offered the job for other reasons, but I had helped in my small way.

The funny part of the story is the very idea that I was able to help Roy with a job since he was renowned as a one man employment service. But all these years later (and after reading many other people's reminiscences) what strikes me is the very idea that I had to reassure someone that Roy was a person you wanted to spend time with. Who could doubt that? Not the hundreds of people whose lives he touched. I just wish he was here so he could respond to this with another one of his great tales. I’m sure there were many I never heard—we needed more time with you Roy... but thank you for all you gave to me and to so many other people.