Tributes to James E. Mace from the U.S., Canada, Ukraine (05/09/04)

Tributes to James E. Mace from the U.S., Canada, Ukraine

The untimely death of James Mace at this critical time in Ukrainian history is an irreplaceable loss for the Ukrainian people, the Ukrainian nation.

I had the pleasure of working with James Mace when he was staff director of the U.S. Commission on the Ukraine Famine. Under his leadership staff reports were always professionally rendered, academically sound, and punctual.

Few people are aware of the many roadblocks James had to overcome to bring the commission's historic 523-page Report to Congress to fruition. The report will forever remain his legacy to our people.

No one knew more about the Ukrainian Famine and the evil perpetrators of this genocide than James Mace, and it was because of this that he was often maligned by his academic inferiors here and in Ukraine.

James Mace was unique in so many ways. Part Cherokee Indian, he was an Oklahoman who learned the Ukrainian language, lived in Kyiv, wrote for a Ukrainian newspaper, and defended Ukrainian interests on Ukrainian television. His activities, of course, annoyed Ukraine's Russophiles who publicly mocked his accent and his commitment to Ukraine's people. James was disliked by our detractors because he was learned, gracious, authentic, and willing to publicly expose the spurious posturing of Ukraine's ruling elite.

His passing has left a deep void in our community and in our hearts. May he rest in peace.

- Myron B. Kuropas, public member, U.S. Commission on the Ukraine Famine (1986-1990).

James Mace lived in Washington during the last half of the 1980s, and was staff director of the Ukraine Famine Commission. Few people did more than this first-rate scholar over the years to bring to the world's attention the nature and magnitude of the genocidal Ukraine Famine.

Throughout the last year, we had engaged in e-mail correspondence. I enjoyed receiving his insightful, at times ironic and witty comments. Jim was very supportive of the Senate's resolution on the Famine-Genocide and glad that such a measure had been introduced and had considerable support among senators.

Jim was an extraordinarily committed, courageous and valuable friend of Ukraine, and of the Ukrainian American community. He will be greatly missed. Vichna yomu pamiat!

- Orest Deychakiwsky, staff adviser, Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Commission).

I was genuinely shocked and saddened by the news of Jim's death. I had known Jim since the late 1970s, when he was writing his Ph.D. dissertation at the University of Michigan and I had begun my career at the CIUS Toronto Office. Our paths did not cross very often, but we stayed in touch. I last saw Jim at the August 2002 International Ukrainian Studies Congress in Chernivtsi, where he gave me a copy of the text of his plenary speech.

Last year Jim accepted my invitation to write a new article on the Holodomor for www.encyclopediaofukraine.com, and I had sent him some relevant new books. Alas, Jim's poor health and many scholarly and journalistic involvements in Kyiv prevented him from fulfilling his commitment. I was very glad to hear that permission was granted to bury Jim's remains at the restricted Baikove Cemetery in Kyiv. At least in that way he will receive a small part of the recognition that he undeservedly failed to get during his lifetime.

Jim's death is a great loss to Ukrainian and genocide studies and to all those struggling for the establishment of real democracy in Ukraine. I am truly sorry I will never be able to see, hear, or read him again.

- Roman Senkus, president, Canadian Association for Ukrainian Studies; director of the Publications Program, Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies; managing editor, www.encyclopediaofukraine.com.

Today (May 3) is a sad day in Ukrainian studies: the American historian James Mace died today in Kyiv at the tender age of 52. Author of the classic "Communism and the Dilemmas of National Liberation: National Com-munism in Soviet Ukraine, 1918-1933" (1983) and of the monumental "Investigation of the Ukrainian Famine 1932-1933" (1987-1988), James paid a professional price for his sacrilegious claim - in Russian studies, that is - that the Ukrainian Famine was man-made.

His scholarship will survive the factional debates over the Famine and his academic non-conformism will remain an inspiration for the field. Our sympathies and prayers go to his wife and family.

- Dominique Arel, Chair of Ukrainian Studies, University of Ottawa.

He knew the [United States] system, he knew how to talk to people. He knew the language of politics. Without his work the Commission would not have had the success it did have.

With his heavily accented but fluent Ukrainian, a language that he loved, Jim should be an example to those born here who can barely say a word in Ukrainian.

But it is not only his research into the Great Famine that should be remembered. If you read his short sparkling articles in Den, you also know that he had more to say, that journalism was also his forte. We will never forget you, Jim.

- Former Ambassador to the United States Yuri Shcherbak.

We are saying farewell to a very amiable foreigner, who many in Ukraine called a white knight. They meant that he was for Ukraine a knight of truth.

James had a talent for stating the truth and for searching for the truth. He is a huge figure in the academic world. He unearthed things that had been deeply buried.

- Yevhen Sverstiuk, writer and former Soviet political prisoner.

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