The historical profession lost a giant with the passing of John A. Garraty, the Gouverneur Morris Professor of History emeritus at Columbia University. The author and editor of numerous American history books, Garraty was one of the most prolific historians of his generation. I worked as his last research assistant, and I once asked him the secret of his prolificness, as if expecting him to reveal some secret formula or regimen. In addition to his writing, he had a family, taught classes, vacationed at a Paris apartment and even ran the New York City marathon. Amidst all this activity, he still wrote copiously. “Where do you find the time?” I asked.

Columbia College students were honored with awards, prizes and fellowships at the annual Columbia College Academic Awards and Prizes Ceremony on May 20.

Columbia has been ranked fourth place in U.S. News & World Report’s ranking of National Universities for the fourth year in a row. Princeton was ranked first this year, followed by Harvard (second) and Yale (third). Stanford University and the University of Chicago tied for fifth; Duke University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Pennsylvania tied for seventh; California Institute of Technology and Dartmouth College tied for tenth place.