As many of you may know, Prof. Mollison died recently.

There is an excellent obituary in today's Guardian newspaper, if anyone would like to read it at guardian.co.uk/obituaries.

Thank you for the link. When I started blood banking, Mollison's classic book Transfusion in Clinical Medicine was about the only available text for transfusion medicine. I read the whole thing during the year that I was preparing for my SBB exam! Now there are are numerous books.

No problem.

I was lucky enough to meet the great man on several occasions, and heard him lecture on the subject of his early work on HDN. He was also gracious enough to sign a couple of copies of different editions of his book for me.

RIP.

Thanks Malcolm

Good reading , wonder if he was named Patrick because he was born on St Patricks day 17th March

Good question. I don't know, is the answer!

Thanks Malcom. I've passed this on to several of my BB buddies here in the US. You are lucky to have met such a great man.

I certainly was.

Blood Transfusion in Clinical Medicine has always been an important part of my work library, too.

Indeed it is , like every Church has a Bible every Transfusion lab has a Mollison

must see if it is available on Kindle ( and others )

That is a great idea! Glad you thought of it! Thanks.

Thanks Malcolm. Indeed, a giant has passed on.

Thanks for the info, Malcolm. I had checked the internet a couple times recently, but could not find any obituary (other than the brief announcement of his death.)

I was very excited when I briefly met Professor Mollison when he came to St. Louis and gave a lecture in the mid 1970's. Such an important scientist in the advancement of our profession.

RIP.

We seem to be losing many of the greats recently. I never had the privilege of even hearing him speak, but like all the others, I have read his book cover to cover in multiple editions.

I'm in my early sixties and, although I never had the honor of meeting Professor Mollison, I have heard and sometimes spoke with Peter Issitt, John Case, George Garrity, Lawrence Marsh, John Moulds and others. We are, unfortunately, at the end of the golden age of exploration in our profession. The blood groups are well described (down to a molecular level), component therapy has been well established for decades and infectious complications of transfusion are minimal. That is not to say that there are not exciting areas of exploration, cellular and gene therapies for one, left for us, nor is there a lack of cutting edge researchers (and speakers!) in our profession, but the groundwork has been laid by the brilliance and dogged perserverance of these pioneers. It is unfortunate, but inevitable, that we must bid them farewell and salute their achievements.

Thank You, Malcolm. His book is an essential part every Blood Banker's library.

I agree with Dr. Pepper's comments. Those of us who are around that age group came into the field in a very exciting time of new discoveries, changes, and improvements, and often had the opportunities to meet or hear those individuals who were directly involved with those discoveries. I have been lots of things, but I have never been bored working in this profession!!

Donna