The staff of the Handbook of Latin American Studies gratefully acknowledge the late Lewis U. Hanke for conceptualizing and creating this annual bibliography of Latin American studies. Hanke, the first chief of the Hispanic Division of the Library of Congress and founding editor of the Handbook, was in a very real sense the father of the field of Latin American studies in the United States. His creation, the Handbook, has continued to play a major role in the dissemination of Latin American studies research and the development of Latin Americanist library collections throughout the US and worldwide. All Latin Americanists are indebted to him for his pioneering vision and energetic leadership.

Lewis U. Hanke (1905-1993) - Founding Editor of the HLAS