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We’ve lost one of the all-time great brasilianistas. Riordan Roett, for 45 years (!) a professor at SAIS and author of 25+ books, passed away on Saturday, the school confirms. His scholarship won him the the Order of Rio Branco (Brazil), the Order of Bernardo O’Higgins (Chile) and numerous other awards. He was known above all for his generosity with young people, including a woefully under-employed Texan journalist who wasn’t even his student, but whom he indulged anyway with a long coffee and chat about Brazil in his Washington DC office back in the mid-2000s — I’m sure countless others have similar stories. SAIS said plans for a memorial service are still being made. RIP Riordan Roett