Presidential address: Society for Pediatric Research.

Abstract

Last year the special circumstance of holding our meeting jointly with the other pediatric societies prevented us from hearing my predecessor give his presidential address. Undoubtedly we were thus deprived of a great intellectual pleasure, but not only the members but also Dr. Janeway himself must have regretted this momentary lapse in our tradition. The presidential address affords the speaker the opportunity, and indeed serves him chiefly for the purpose, of acknowledging his debt of gratitude to the society. This is the one pleasure connected with the office which I for one should not like to forego. My predecessor, like all those before him, must have felt the desire to thank you for an honor which to my way of thinking is the highest form of recognition our endeavors can receive. This urge for presidential self-expression is all the greater because by tradition the office is likely to be given