Kwaheri

The time has come to say goodbye to the Journal of Colonialism and Colonial History and to the many subscribers and readers who have either followed us since we began publishing in 2000 or have joined us along the way. I am stepping down as editor and retiring from the academy. Before signing off, I want to retrace the route that the journal and I took in reaching this point. While these final words will not include all of the many scholars who have provided one form of support or another (as there are many), it is important to recognize and thank a few.

Back in 1999, when I first conceived of a publication centered on colonialism—across the world and over time—I went to John D. Haeger, then provost at Towson University. Haeger is a prize winning American historian and, in an earlier incarnation, had experience with scholarly publishing. His response to my request was first an insistence that it be an e-journal. He correctly noted that the substance would make or break the publication, not the form in which it reached readers. Next, Haeger offered financial support if I could find a publisher. He was enthusiastic—a rarity in an administrator especially where money is concerned—and he ultimately provided the promised support when we found a publishing home. It is gratifying to note that we have fulfilled his expectations. The JCCH is now regarded as one of the major journals in the area of colonial studies. We have provided a publishing venue for newly minted PhD's, for a few capable graduate students, and for a variety of tenure seeking members across disciplines.

Having known that The Johns Hopkins University Press had created Project Muse, I wrote up a proposal that was ultimately submitted to the Hopkins Press Board (with the input of Richard A. Macksey, a member of that board), accompanied with a supporting letter from Franklin Knight in the Hopkins Department of History. The then Director of Project Muse (Mark Nolan) was most welcoming when we were accepted and brought us on board with our first issue in the spring of 2000.

The JCCH and I must pay homage to a few of these generous academics who have given so freely of their time over the past eleven years. I have singled out Franklin Knight for initial support, but that was just the beginning of his generosity. He has been the best of advisors, refereed a number of articles, referred me to others as referees (numerous times), and served on the search committee for the new editor. In fact, Knight, Burton, and Lonsdale are all members of the JCCH "The Johns Hopkins University Press Best Article" committee that will be awarded for the first time in January 2011. My gratitude to him is most sincere and, in his case, I will be able to reinforce these thanks since we are in close proximity and contact.

The JCCH would never have taken off and enjoyed the success that marks it today without the input of Antoinette Burton. She was an early supporter and, beyond carrying out the same burdensome tasks that marked Professor Knight, Professor Burton took on the job of General Book Review Editor when we had no books; nor did we enjoy any credibility with publishers. From what seemed like the "air," Antoinette Burton produced a wide range and large assortment of books that then became the basis for the thoughtful and important reviews that have characterized us from early on. She organized special issues when we were publishing more than incoming submissions that could pass muster. She lined up contributors. And I am unable to count the numbers of times I have turned to Antoinette for advice and, as with Knight, to referee submissions. After Burton became co-editor of the Journal of Women's Studies, followed by Chair, History at University of Illinois, she recommended Professor Durba Ghosh at Cornell to take her place. Antoinette: I really cannot find the words to express my thanks—from the heart as well as from the figurative pen of the editor. In so many respects, the JCCH was your...