Charles Ruff died far too soon. His loss to the highest levels of government, to the District’s legal community, to his colleagues and clients, and especially to his family and friends is incalculable. But in losing Chuck, observes his friend Patricia Shakow (a Washington lawyer and Washington Post editorial writer), history also lost what certainly would have been a compelling oral history. Still, at least part of the oral history project was completed, and its contents are summarized by Shakow.