Environmental Health Perspectives Volume 103, Supplement 8, November 1995

Dedication

This volume is dedicated to Dr. Calum S. Muir, who died in June of 1995. For more than four decades, Muir provided seminal contributions to the development of cancer epidemiology worldwide. Working with Richard Doll, Joseph Fraumeni, Peter Boyle, Pelayo Correa, John Higginson, Nubia Munoz, Jeanne Nectoux, Max Parkin, Connie Percy, and other pioneers in the field, Muir spearheaded efforts to provide uniform systems for recording data on cancer throughout the world. He was an editor of Cancer in Five Continents from its early years up until his death and was largely responsible for guiding its development into the unique and widely used reference volume it is today. Muir joined the International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France, soon after its inception, becoming head of the Descriptive Epidemiology Unit and then Deputy Director. While there he conducted systematic analyses of patterns in cancer incidence and mortality throughout the world. In 1966 Muir was instrumental in founding the International Agency for Cancer Registries, a voluntary nongovernment organization, as its Deputy Secretary, until he became President in 1992. A man of quiet good humor, Muir managed to forge consensus in the international research community on many difficult and complex issues critical to the generation of solid health data. Gracious in demeanor and always willing to engage in honest debate, he is sorely missed by all who were privileged to work with him.

Last Update: September 8, 1998