In 1981, Charles Gibson completed a distinguished career at the University of Iowa and the University of Michigan. Few historians have given more by their example to all three areas of professional work: scholarship, teaching, and service. Working along the fertile boundaries between history and anthropology, geography, and language studies, Professor Gibson set new standards for archival scholarship in colonial history, opened the way to significant new questions about the history of Indians in Latin America, and provided his own brilliant insights into this issue. Besides his classic books on Tlaxcala and the Valley of Mexico, his years of work in ethnohistory on the multivolume Handbook of Middle American Indians and on the Handbook of Latin American Studies have been especially important in advancing the field and the research of other scholars. As president of the American Historical Association, he brought college teachers of history into closer cooperation with public school programs and educators, efforts that followed his own work with students in the public schools of Ann Arbor. Over three decades he has contributed greatly to the HAHR as board member, editor, and dependable editorial adviser; and his sound judgment and loyal service to CLAH and its members are well remembered.
Professor Gibson’s scholarly achievements, dedicated teaching, thoughtful understanding of the needs of the profession, and his generosity in aiding the development of others are an inspiration to his colleagues in Latin American history.
