This post is probably the hardest thing that I have ever had to write.

As some of you know, Bill Strauss, the man who, with Neil Howe, brought us all together here and who certainly did more than anyone in my generation to open my eyes, contracted cancer in 1999. The initial tumor in his pancreas was removed at Johns Hopkins in a new operation and for some time, he was fully all right. It turned out, however, that the cells had also spread to his liver, and during the last eight years he had a number of chemotherapy treatments. They were difficult (I witnessed some first hand, since I often stayed at their home in Washington), but he always recovered eventually and resumed his full round of activity. (Bill gave an interview about all this to a local paper a year or two ago.)

Unfortunately he has not been able to recover from the last treatment. His wife Janie, '46, a wonderful woman and a dear friend, has just told me to let you all know about this. Bill is very weak; it is impossible to know how long he will last. With Janie's encouragement, I am inviting you all to post anything you have to say about Bill and what he has meant to you right here. Sadly, he will not be able to read it, but it will mean a great deal to Janie, his daughters Melanie, Victoria, and Becky, and his son Eric. His granddaughter Madison, born this year, and further grandchildren yet to come will enjoy them as well some day. And obviously it will mean a great deal to all of us.

Bill and Neil are two of only four Boomers from whom I feel I learned something truly new, exciting, and important. He remains a dear friend and a remarkable man. As I realized last winter teaching generations to Millennials at Williams College, Boomers tend to be emotional, self-confident, and convinced that they must be right. If they are wrong, this makes them unbearable; if they are right, it makes them invaluable. Bill has been right far more often than not and actually did something that I could never have done--he and Neil rediscovered America. I am delighted that I have done something to spread his legacy and hope to do more.

Meanwhile, he will leave a gap in my own life that no one will ever be able to fill.

Originally Posted by KaiserD2

This post is probably the hardest thing that I have ever had to write.

As some of you know, Bill Strauss, the man who, with Neil Howe, brought us all together here and who certainly did more than anyone in my generation to open my eyes, contracted cancer in 1999. The initial tumor in his pancreas was removed at Johns Hopkins in a new operation and for some time, he was fully all right. It turned out, however, that the cells had also spread to his liver, and during the last eight years he had a number of chemotherapy treatments. They were difficult (I witnessed some first hand, since I often stayed at their home in Washington), but he always recovered eventually and resumed his full round of activity. (Bill gave an interview about all this to a local paper a year or two ago.)

Unfortunately he has not been able to recover from the last treatment. His wife Janie, '46, a wonderful woman and a dear friend, has just told me to let you all know about this. Bill is very weak; it is impossible to know how long he will last. With Janie's encouragement, I am inviting you all to post anything you have to say about Bill and what he has meant to you right here. Sadly, he will not be able to read it, but it will mean a great deal to Janie, his daughters Melanie, Victoria, and Becky, and his son Eric. His granddaughter Madison, born this year, and further grandchildren yet to come will enjoy them as well some day. And obviously it will mean a great deal to all of us.

Bill and Neil are two of only four Boomers from whom I feel I learned something truly new, exciting, and important. He remains a dear friend and a remarkable man. As I realized last winter teaching generations to Millennials at Williams College, Boomers tend to be emotional, self-confident, and convinced that they must be right. If they are wrong, this makes them unbearable; if they are right, it makes them invaluable. Bill has been right far more often than not and actually did something that I could never have done--he and Neil rediscovered America. I am delighted that I have done something to spread his legacy and hope to do more.

Meanwhile, he will leave a gap in my own life that no one will ever be able to fill.

I am so sorry to hear this. My sympathies to Bill and his family, who I met in January 2001. They are lovely people.

This is truly sad. I had no idea. My uncle died of pancreatic cancer in 2001, so I know what a painful process this is. My sympathies to Janie and the rest of his family.

Deepest sympathies. I'll light several candles to him for either an easy passing or a miracle. My sister died of the same thing in 2005 - around this time of year. There is a foundation, the Lustgarten Foundation, which I donate to in her name.

Roadbldr '59 and the Wonkette wanted to know that because of the 4T website, romance has bloomed. Specifically, the two of us have been dating since August 2002. Its impossible to imagine us getting together if not for the site.

Both of us began regularly posting in 2000. In 2002, I teased Roadbldr '59 through the forum posts and he developed a crush on me. We both had recently divorced from our previous spouses. When we met in person, there was chemistry and a connection, so we've been long-term dating.

Friendships have also been developed. For example, I have met and enjoyed the company of Neisha '67 a few times, as has Roadbldr '59.

Finally, the theory has been fodder for a number of Toastmasters speeches that I've given throughout the year, including one I gave in a humorous speech competition about what makes Boomers tick that won second place (which is great for me, since I don't possess a silver tongue).

KaiserD2, if you care to send me your e-mail via PM, I can send you electronic pictures of Roadbldr '59 and me for you to send to the Strauss family.

Thanks.

Mr. Strauss's work with Mr. Howe struck a loud resonant chord with me seven years ago which has yet to fade away. I rediscovered my love of generational studies and learned a new way to look at history by reading their work. This lead to even more reading, new concepts for me to chew over, and this website -- a place in which I found stimulating community, intellectual challenges, and more than a few good laughs.

Thank you, Bill.

--Kiff

Jenny,

KaiserD2@gmail.com, but I think I can do better than that. At some point there will be a very big memorial, and I'm sure you both will be more than welcome. You're nearby, of course.

Thanks to Bill and Neil I've managed to open up the horizons of at least 200 students as well, and a few hundred more people that I addressed in talks two of the old students invited me to.

From the spring of '04 to the spring of '06, I had a serious condition in which I went through long bouts of extreme pain and I was unable to venture outside of my house for long periods of time. I suppose I would have gone mad if I hadn't picked up The Fourth Turning and Generations in 2004. Thanks to William and Neil, I was able to pass through that period in my life. Furthermore, my eyes were opened to the outside world. For this and more, I am eternally grateful.

I've been on these forums since the late 1990s. I think I became a poster here back in 1998. I found the theory interesting, and I found the discussions here also interesting. I never met him in person, with the most contact being by email. He (and Neil) have definitely reshaped my view of history. And because of it, I don't fear world events as much as I would've otherwise. Their work has a lot of intellectual potential. Bill knows that he has changed the world. With people like Al Gore and Tom Delay, and God knows whom else having read it, he knows that he has caused a major dent, a major turn in the events that are unfolding now, and are about to unfold.

You will be missed, Bill.

The one thought that keeps coming to me over and over again is this:

Bill Strauss, for me, you are and will forever be The Grey Champion of my generation.

I am deeply sad to hear this news. Mr. Strauss and his family are in my thoughts as well. I never met Mr. Strauss in person but I did have contact with him by e-mail and spoke with him over the phone a couple of times. I found him to be very thoughtful and friendly to speak with. All I can say is that his and Mr. Howe's books have forever changed my entire perspective in regards to history and world events. I no longer look upon the world as chaotic and uncertain as I did before and I no longer look toward the future with as much fear. The theory opened up a whole new way for me to look at history, the world, and my place in it. For this I am extremely grateful. Reading about the theory also brought me to this forum, where I have been a poster and frequent visitor for two and a half years now and have met some nice people, like Jenny, who I got to meet in person when I was in D.C. a year ago.
Mr. Strauss and the theory he helped to devise, have changed my life and shaped it as well. I do not know if I would be majoring in Political Science with the intention of going to law school right now if the authors' books had not invigorated my interest in politics and philosophy. For this I am forever grateful. Thank you Mr. Strauss, you will surely be missed by the people on this forum and myself.

I would like the family and friends of Mr. Wm. Strauss to know that he has done a yeoman's work in the fields of history, and with the utility of his and Mr. Howe's Generational Theory has given us a mouldboard plough to overturn the dusts of the past so that the new can come to be.

He has provided a pasture here at this site for reflection and grace and most greatly joy upon matters historical. I am and will always be in his debt for the tools and the spaces and the great pleasure he has so generously shared with his fellows.

You will be in my devotions at this time of both pain and promise. Thank you.

Yo. Ob. Sv.
Virgil K. Saari

Horrible news.

I ran into the theory while looking up stuff on the Lost Generation on Wikipedia just over a year ago, I went over to the local bookstore and bought T4T the next day. Mr, Strauss has forever changed how I view history. before I feared that the 3T Post-everything thinking, social atomization, process-ridden politics and culture war rhetoric that has permeated society for the last 20-odd years would never end, now I know to be careful of predictions based simplistic linear extrapolations.

I haven't been here for too long but I'm still sad to hear this. I would like to thank him and Neil Howe for discovering this theory and actually changing my view of history and even the people around me.

Even though the treatment wasn't successful I'll still pray he gets better.

Like many others, I came here following the 9/11 tragedy hoping to find answers. Instead, I found questions that have held my attention ever since. I'm sad that I was unable to meet Bill in person, but will always cherish the insight he brought me.

Bill, Janie: my thoughts are with you both and your family.

Originally Posted by The Wonkette

Both of us began regularly posting in 2000. In 2002, I teased Roadbldr '59 through the forum posts and he developed a crush on me.

She keeps saying that, but she was the one who said she'd have my baby if she could! With zero prompting from me, I might add. Total projection... Psych 101 stuff.

At any rate, I honestly don't know what to say at a time like this. Having lost both my parents in 2003, I can't say I handle illness and death very well, other than with gallows humour that would be completely inappropriate here. Perhaps I'll be able to say something worthwhile, once I've had a chance to collect my thoughts.

Oh, no!

You can assume all the usual banality that I might express but avoid because it hasalready been stated.

Had this explanation of history been in existence earlier, or were I about fifteen years younger, then I might have become a history major in college; this generational theory transforms history from a mish-mash of events and biographical details into something that makes sense. Messrs. Howe and Strauss, I thank you for creating a royal road that allows one to understand history instead of to merely memorize details.

I can only hope the best... not that I have any pull with any Higher Authority.

As one who has had an interest in history scince early childhood, the discovery of saecular theory has brought understanding to what had been so many enigmas. The work you two have done as authors will only be fully appreaciated over time. May the time that you both have to be with us prove to be longer than expected. You both and your families are in my thoughts and prayers.

Rick

In 1991 I had to make a business trip to our state capitol and wandered around the airport looking for something to read. Generations caught my eye and I started reading it on the flight up. I checked into the hotel and read until 4 AM. I was bleary eyed for my meeting at 7 AM and resented every moment I was away from the book. I think Odin said it earlier, it forever changed the way I look at American history.

Once after Columbine, I posted something here on the forum and I was shocked to recieve an email from Bill Strauss. He has so much energy and humor and creativity. I am so sorry that he and his family are suffering. My thoughts and prayers are with them. I will always be so thankful that I have been able to see america through his eyes.

Knowing Bill Strauss' love for the Millennial Generation and his support for them, I always wondered whether, twenty years from now, he would support my generation in its cause if we made the collective move to legalize marijuana, lower the voting age (as has already been done in Austria), give marriage rights to gay couples, whitewash premarital sex, abolish the draft and secure civil liberties for people accused of terrorism.

Now I guess I'll never know.

Originally Posted by Jesse Manoogian

Knowing Bill Strauss' love for the Millennial Generation and his support for them, I always wondered whether, twenty years from now, he would support my generation in its cause if we made the collective move to legalize marijuana, lower the voting age (as has already been done in Austria), give marriage rights to gay couples, whitewash premarital sex, abolish the draft and secure civil liberties for people accused of terrorism.

Now I guess I'll never know.

Jesse,

Since I have had many arguments with Bill over some of the issues you raise, I know that he has not, in fact, agreed with some of those positions, and I would be very surprised if he ever did. But I know something else. Like so many Boomers, Bill feels he knows how the world should be ordered. But his genius was to realize that every generation has only its part to play--and thus, were he alive twenty years from now, and if your generation had done all those things, I do think that he would have respected them. Bill has been as upset as I have by the disgraceful mess our fellow boomers have made of things. My friend--it will be up to you soon. The best way to honor him will be to do better.

I am truly saddend to hear this news. My deepest sympathy to his family. This man - these two men, have discovered something that will resonate for centuries to come. I don't think this is an understatement. If you get this theory - and I mean really get it and absorb it - it literally transforms your thinking and worldview. There is not a day that goes by since I read T4T in 1997 that it has not affected my perceptions about the world around me. It has given me hope for the future and renewed my interest in history and the way culture works. It is highly prophetic and takes us above the fray to a place where we "can see for miles and miles." I truly CAN see for miles and miles thanks to Bill.

I see and hear his theory most every day. It seems more and more most recently...in the writings of Andrew Sullivan in this month's Atlantic and on this week's cover of Newsweek. I hear it in the speeches of Barack Obama and the sermons of the Emergent Church. It allows you to see embryonic social movements long before they register on the cultural conciousness and become dominant forces. It also shows us the folly of striving to maintain the status quo and the hazards of idealized progress. *a nod to Mr. Saari*

I'm disappointed though, that this man will not live to see the recognition he deserves. I know that many people have read these books and kept what they have learned to themselves. They have used the revelations for their own agendas - and most of the time it has backfired. Funny how that works out. Oh well.

Cheers to you Bill! May your next adventure be as fullfilling as this one was.

I am posting this on behalf of Xer Matthew Elmslie, one of the original regulars here.

Lis passed along the news to me about Bill. I'm trying to reregister for the 4T boards to post this online, but in case that continues to be a protracted process I'd feel better if there was some way you could pass it along to the Strausses:


I don't know what to say. I'm not really sure there is anything I can say that will help.

I wouldn't venture to say which of these is more important: that I like Bill and he was always nicer to me than I had any right to reasonably expect, or that his (and Neil's) ideas have been tremendously important to me. Not a day goes by when I don't think a thought that I owe to him in some way; not a day goes by that I'm not aware of it. Ten thousand thanks, for everything.

It was another '47 Boomer, Laura Nyro, who pointed out that there'll be one child born, and a world, to carry on.

My thoughts continue to be with Bill, his family, friends and fans.

--

Thanks,

Matthew

The best theories are the ones that are so obvious yet have eluded people for so long. This is one of those theories. People instinctively know it, but these books gave voice to it.

That's very sad to hear.

The work that Mr. Strauss and Mr. Howe have done in deciphering patterns in Anglo-American history is ingenious.