In Memoriam
Craig Klafter
In Memoriam: Craig Evan Klafter
Craig Klafter was a noted legal historian, an influential member of the American Society for Legal History (ASLH), a brilliant academic administrator, and a wonderful friend to many.
Craig received a Bachelor of Arts with General Honors in History and Master of Arts in History from the University of Chicago, and Doctor of Philosophy in Modern History from the University of Oxford.
He began his career in England as a Lecturer in American History at the University of Manchester and then a Lecturer in Modern History at the University of Southampton. He then moved to Boston University where, in addition to serving as a Professor of Law, he became Assistant to the President. He served as Associate Provost for International Programs at the University of Northern Iowa, Associate Vice President International at the University of British Columbia, Pro Vice-Chancellor External Relations at Oxford Brookes University, and President of the St. Catherine’s College (Oxford) Foundation. He was appointed the founding Rector and Professor of History at the American University of Myanmar. His publications included Reason Over Precedents: Origins of American Legal Thought, Essays on English Law and the American Experience, Legal Practice Management and Quality Standards, The Future of National Identity, and numerous articles on legal, diplomatic, political, and educational history.
He received the Webb-Smith Essay Prize for “The Americanization of Blackstone’s Commentaries,” an Honorary Scarlett Key Award from Boston University, and a Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst Scholarship. He twice received recognition from the Republic of China for promoting cultural and educational exchanges.
Craig’s longstanding service to the American Society for Legal History stands out as one of his most outstanding career contributions. He served in the time-consuming and demanding position of Treasurer for the ASLH from 2007 to 2018. Working with multiple ASLH Presidents and Boards of Directors, Craig provided meticulous financial supervision of the Society’s funds.
He knew everything about the Society, steered us through innumerable challenges, and remarkably, never appeared flustered or overwhelmed. He was like superman, present wherever and whenever needed, no task too daunting, no request too small. He was supportive of our efforts to internationalize the Society, he took enormous care to ensure our financial security, and he helped expand our awarding of prizes and honors, often making nominations that saw our legal history colleagues receive significant distinctions and awards. He personified integrity. The ASLH became stronger, more innovative, and more effective under his leadership.
Craig served as a member of the CAO Executive Committee with the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS), where he encouraged other scholarly associations to adopt creative new ways of organizing their affairs and extending their academic reach. Representing the ASLH within the ACLS, Craig achieved wide acclaim as the most knowledgeable of academic society treasurer/administrators, the expert to whom his counterparts in other societies turned for solutions to stubborn problems and innovative practices that could enhance their own academic work.
Many of us marvelled at his heroic efforts to set up the American University of Myanmar. As its founding Rector, he surmounted many hurdles, conscious of the deep educational needs of his students and the dire situation of the country in which they lived. He exhibited courage and humanity, demonstrating a deep sense of responsibility in the face of the country’s desperate circumstances. Although the political and military forces were ultimately simply too repressive, his energy matched his idealism to the bitter end.
Former ASLH President Bruce Mann wrote of Craig’s legacy with the following apt tribute:
Craig was a valued and valuable colleague. He was essential to the financial operations of the American Society for Legal History. He was an exceptional steward of our finances, and hence of our ability to expand opportunities for legal historians. A grateful ASLH awarded him the Craig Joyce Medal in 2016 for his extraordinary and sustained volunteer service to the Society. His many friends at ASLH, particularly the series of Presidents whose lives he made easier, will miss him.
It is also important to mention Craig’s friendship with many ASLH members over the years. He had a gift of establishing an almost immediate bond, a sense that one could speak openly and honestly about life, its ups and downs, and one’s hopes and dreams. To see him at ASLH annual meetings and between, was always a highlight. Craig’s friendship was invaluable to many ASLH members: a source of connection, pleasure, and deep caring.
Craig Evan Klafter died in Boca Raton on 22 May 2023, at the age of 64. He will be sorely missed.
(Constance Backhouse)