This past summer the opening lecture at the IAHR world congress in Germany was named as the Gary Lease Memorial Lecture, in honor of the onetime IAHR treasurer and also longtime NAASR member and former NAASR Executive Secretary/Treasurer. Gary, who died of cancer on January 4, 2008, was also the chair of UC Santa Cruz’s noted History of Consciousness program; he was a loyal and generous friend, a gifted teacher, and a critical interlocutor who was deeply committed to the study of religion as being but one element of the historical, human sciences.

The IAHR has established this lecture in his honor, taking place at each quinquennial world congress, and we’re inviting NAASR members to help fund this lectureship’s future costs (such as the travel and lodging for the designated lecturer). If you are able to contribute, whatever amount, then we recommend that you forward your donation to our Executive Director, Craig Martin, designating it for this purpose, and he will then collect all donations and forward them to the IAHR, earmarked specifically for this purpose.

Should you also wish to donate toward NAASR’s own operating expenses, then we’d welcome that as well.

All donations will receive a receipt from NAASR so that they can be claimed as a tax exempt donation (at least here in the US).

For more information on Gary, please consult this link.