PROFESSOR STANISLAUS A. BLEJWAS, one of the foremost scholars of Polish and Polish American history in the United States, and a member of the editorial board of this journal, died at his home on 23 September 2001 at the age of 59. His death leaves a professional and personal void in the lives of the many colleagues, friends, and family he touched in a distinguished and fruitful academic career. He is survived by his wife of thirty-five years, Lucy, and two children, Andrzej and Carol, as well as his mother and five brothers.

Stan Blejwas was born on 5 October 1941 to Polish immigrant parents in New York City and grew up in New Jersey. He received his bachelor's degree in history summa cum laude from Providence College in 1963. He then enrolled at Columbia University, where, in 1966, he earned a master's degree in history and a graduate certificate from the university's Institute on East Central Europe. He conducted research for his dissertation at the University of Warsaw in 1967–8 and 1969–70. In 1973 he received his Ph.D. in modern East European and Polish history from Columbia. He was assistant director of the Institute on East Central Europe in 1974.

In the same year Blejwas accepted a position in the history department at Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) in New Britain. He remained there until his death, holding the position of assistant professor (1974–9), associate professor (1979–84), professor (1984–9), and finally university professor (1989–2001). From 1974 until his death he was coordinator of Polish studies. In 1987 he became the holder of an endowed chair in Polish and Polish American studies at CCSU, the only such chair in the world (which he created). He also served at various times as a visiting professor at several colleges and universities, including Columbia University, Wesleyan University, Hartford College for Women, Alliance College, and the University of Connecticut.

As a scholar, Blejwas was widely respected and well known both in the United States and in Europe. He received numerous awards and honours. He was decorated by the Polish president Aleksander Kwas´niewski with Officer Swords of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland in July 1996. In October 2000 Władysław Bartoszewski, minister of foreign affairs of the Republic of Poland, presented him with the Foreign Minister's Diploma of Recognition for the promotion of Polish culture abroad.