James M. Ethridge, executive v-p and editorial director of Gale Research Company until his retirement in 1985, died December 13, 2011 at the age of 90. During his career at Gale, Ethridge was responsible for launching some of the company’s flagship publications, including Contemporary Authors and Directories in Print. In 1985 he received the Fannie Simon Award from the publishing division of the Special Libraries Association for his outstanding contributions to the field of publishing.