Perhaps it is provident that a publication that saw its launch from the basement of an airport is now in cyberspace. In 1972 when William Sundt agreed on behalf of the Albuquerque Archaeological Society to undertake the publication of Pottery Southwest he did so with the limited resources of a small band of dedicated professional and avocational archaeologists. The Albuquerque Archaeological Society had just been founded a few short years when Helene Warren of the Museum of New Mexico’s Laboratory approached AAS asking for help in creating a periodical devoted to pottery studies. Since the Museum had no funds, it was to be a volunteer effort.

Bill Sundt accepted the challenge of being co-editor in charge of publishing Pottery Southwest while the Museum was to provide the other editor in charge of technical content, i.e. rounding up and editing articles for publication. Kathleen B. Angle was co-editor for the first seven years and Regge Wiseman served another seven. Following Regge, Wolcott Toll and Eric Blinman took turns as technical editors. Certainly, Bill Sundt did his share of rounding up articles and writing some as well. (Dolores Sundt in Clues to the Past: Papers in Honor of William M. Sundt, eds. Meliha S. Duran and David T. Kirkpatrick, The Archaeological Society of New Mexico: 16, 1990.)

For almost 2 decades, Bill Sundt was the engine behind Pottery Southwest. Ably assisted by folks like Dick Bice, who magically managed to keep the antiquated printing press in the basement of the former Albuquerque Airport churning out copies and Dolores Sundt who maintained the records and kept up with subscribers, Bill Sundt managed to produce one of the Southwest’s foremost publications on ceramics. Dedicated volunteers spent dozens of hours collating, folding, stamping, and mailing each issue on a quarterly basis. Filled with articles, letters, requests for information, and sundry tidbits, back issues of Pottery Southwest read like a who’s who in Southwestern ceramics.

This cyberspace endeavor is dedicated to the memory of Bill Sundt, his love of Southwestern archaeology, and his dedication to keeping Pottery Southwest viable. We owe him a debt of gratitude and a commitment to preserving the excellence he strove to achieve.

Patricia Lee, former Chair,
Pottery Southwest Publications
Albuquerque Archaeological Society