Im Memoriam
LESTER E. EMBREE  (1938–2017)
After months of struggle with a spinal injury and complications, Lester Em�
bree, Ph.D., passed away on January 19, 2017. He was Professor of Philosophy 
at Florida Atlantic University and received his Ph.D. from the New School for 
Social Research in 1972. He did his doctoral work with Aron Gurwitsch and 
had taken classes with Dorion Cairns. He was instrumental in setting up the 
archives for the papers and files of, among others, Alfred Schutz, Aron Gur�
witsch, and Dorion Cairns. He was a prolific scholar, having published 5 book�
length investigations, 94 book chapters, 89 interpretive essays, 46 edited books, 
and 31 edited works of other authors. Many of his works have been published 
in several languages. He also gave 200 presentations in various conferences 
and academic settings. He served on the boards of 35 phenomenological socie�
ties and belonged to 20 philosophical societies. One of his great services was 
to foster the growth of phenomenological organizations worldwide, and he 
was frequently involved in the beginnings of such organizations, such as the 
Center for Advanced Research in Phenomenology, the Organization of Phe�
nomenological Organizations, the Husserl Circle, the Círculo LatinoAmerica�
no de Fenomenología, the Central and European Conference in Phenomenol�
ogy, the Nordic Society for Phenomenology, Phenomenology for the East Asia 
Circle, Réseau Euro�Méditerranéen de phénoménologie pour le dialogue in�
terculturel, the Society for Phenomenology and the Human Sciences, and the 
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International Alfred Schutz Circle for Phenomenology and Interpretive Social 
Science. He was instrumental in establishing two book series, Contributions to 
Phenomenology (Springer Press) and the Series in Continental Thought (Ohio 
State University Press). 
He was a great entrepreneur for phenomenology, always imagining and re�
alizing new phenomenological projects and setting up new organizations. His 
service to phenomenology included encouraging the practice of phenomeno�
logical method, fostering multidisciplinary engagement, mentoring a genera�
tion of younger phenomenology scholars, and helping the tradition of phe�
nomenology to flourish across cultures. In the many scholarly conferences he 
attended, he could be counted on to provide regular illuminating comments 
based on the views of authoritative phenomenologists, particularly those of 
the New School; to offer encouraging compliments and insightful criticisms; 
and to occasionally indulge in instances of corny humor. With Lester's death, 
phenomenology has lost one of its great animating spirits.
 
Michael Barber 
Advancing Phenomenology as a Practical Endeavor (http://www.icnap.org/
embrees�contributions�4.pdf) by Thomas Nenon
 
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PHAINOMENA XXVI/100�101