IT IS a singular privilege to be invited to honour the memory of a great physician who has made pediatric history and at the same time to express my personal indebtedness to him. It falls to few men to influence the thought and practice of a generation of pediatricians in such full measure as did Kenneth Blackfan. This influence can be traced not only throughout the American continent, but is widely disseminated in Europe, Australasia, and the Far East. It depends not only on his published works, but even more on the manner of man he was. In attempting to recapture something of his essential character, three features have particularly impressed my memory. The first is Kenneth Blackfan's basic integrity. Tolerant of much, his tolerance never extended to work that was slipshod or fell short of complete honesty. Secondly, his modesty. He never attempted to shine at the expense of others, and it follows from this, I think, that he was so successful in working in complete harmony with others equally distinguished in their own fields. In honouring the name of Kenneth Blackfan, we honour also the names of Dr. Gamble, Dr. Ladd, Dr. Crothers and Dr. Osgood, to mention only the leaders of a team which was to achieve so much. Finally Kenneth Blackfan was remarkable in his capacity for looking ahead. During his working life, pediatrics was still a relatively youthful discipline, and it is due in no small measure to his vision that it has achieved such overwhelming importance in the world today.
