Author and historian John Hope Franklin passed away a few weeks ago at the ripe old age of 94. He is best known for his landmark book, From Slavery to Freedom: A History of African-Americans. The book, first published in 1947, sold more than three million copies and altered the way African-American history was studied. Franklin wrote several other books on understanding African-American history. In 1995, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor.