Mark Frisse paid the following tribute to Dick West during the symposium.
Before I begin, I would like to say a few words about Dick West. Washington University has been in various stages of preparation for IAIMS since the beginning of the program—about 13 years. Through it all, Dick West has been a coach and mentor. Whether you are funded or not, whether you are an IAIMS program or (as we called ourselves before our funding) an “I aints” program, you receive the same high degree of respect, quality of information, and professional values from Dick West. These admirable traits are perhaps all too rarely seen in the Federal Government, but, in Dick, they are deeply respected and even more deeply appreciated.
I wonder if you would join me in acknowledging Dick West's many contributions to IAIMS and to the advancement of the NLM's mission to the country.
Revealing his humble nature, Dick later requested that the remarks be stricken from the public record. On hearing of Dick's untimely death, we decided to dedicate the proceedings of the symposium with the words that we had used to say thank you to him in person for the last time. ▶
Figure 1.
Dick West (left) and Bob Reynolds during a break in the IAIMS Consortium that preceded the symposium. (Photograph by John Patton.)