As the result of interest expressed at a conference on Teaching the Middle Ages in Macomb, Illinois, in 1983, several faculty from Illinois institutions formed a steering committee to establish the Illinois Medieval Association. The first meeting was held on the campus of Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville on February 25, 1984. At that meeting the organization was formally constituted with the following officers:

Roberta Bux Bosse: President
Mark Johnston: Vice President
Robert Kindrick: Executive Secretary
David Wagner: Advisory Board Member
Norman Hinton: Advisory Board Member

   The general goal of the organization is to encourage the study of all aspects of the Middle Ages in the state of Illinois and adjacent states. The generally high caliber of papers presented at the first meeting and the wide representation of scholars from across the state (and out of state) suggests that there is a strong need for the kind of forum that IMA can provide.

   The essays that follow represent some of the very best papers presented at the conference. They were selected by members of the Advisory Board and closely edited by President Roberta Bux Bosse to ensure uniformity. The wide-ranging content of the essays clearly illustrates the interdisciplinary nature of the Association. We deeply regret that it was impossible to include Professor Giles Constable's

   We wish to express our deep gratitude to President Earl Lazerson and Provost Barbara Teters of Southern Illinois University at EdwardsvilIe and President Leslie F. Maipass and Provost Suzanne M. Fleming at Western Illinois University for their generous support of the conference itself and the publication of these proceedings. We also wish to thank Kathy Johnson and Karen Nelson of Western Illinois University for their dedication to and assistance with this project.

   Robert L. Kindrick

   Executive Secretary