I. PROFESSOR A. C. FRASER
Somewhat more than a year ago, when I expected to retire at the end of June, I persuaded Professor Fraser to take charge of Maize Genetics Co�peration. I did not retire, and now Professor Fraser has gone. He assembled the material for the 15th News Letter. It was done in his characteristically careful way. It has pleased me a lot to hear more than one of you say that last year's News Letter was the best one so far put out.
Without the knowledge of any of us, Professor Fraser had been treated by a specialist for over a year. He did not meet his class in advanced genetics after the spring vacation, but he did prepare seed for planting and staked glossy seedlings in the field. Dr. Murray and I made pollinations for him in the summer and Dr. Murray made the final records from his cultures. Some of these are reported in this News Letter.
Professor Fraser was primarily a teacher. He was unusually successful with both undergraduate and graduate students. Many of you, who had courses with him, have told me this and more. You who were thus associated with him for a few years will feel this loss. To those of us who had been his colleagues for many years, his death came as a profound shock. Our memory of many things about him is small consolation. His ability, his determination, his untiring energy and resourcefulness, his never failing cheerfulness - he "kept his chin up" to the end - his willing helpfulness, and withal his unassuming manner, all these memories of him force upon all of us an ever growing sense of our loss.
R. A. Emerson