Many of us who care about Mark Twain had the good fortune to
come under the care of Herb Wisbey when he directed the Center for
Mark Twain Studies in Elmira, and so it is with particular sadness
that we observe his passing.  Herb had the curiosity and enthusiasm
of a schoolboy, the personal warmth and graciousness of a born host,
the quick penetration of a good teacher, and the easy generosity of a
man perfectly at home with himself.  Under his direction the Center
began to shape its special mission, especially among Twain
researchers, to find its purpose, and to establish itself as a
resource of national importance.  It is no small praise to say of
Herb's successors, Daryll Baskin and Gretchen Sharlow, that they have
built well on his foundation.
        Many of us found Herb as welcoming and as comfortable as
Quarry Farm itself.  For those of us who came to know the place as we
came to know the man, the spirits of both naturally intertwined.
They remain so now.

Jeff Steinbrink