In memoriam.

We are sad to note the passing of Dr. Theodore M. King, chairman of FHI's Board of Directors from September 2000 until his death on May 22, 2002 at the age of 71.

Dr. King also served as FHI's president/chief operating officer from 1991 to 1998. He was a former vice president for medical affairs at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and the Johns Hopkins Health Systems, Baltimore, Maryland, USA, and a former chairman of the hospital's department of gynecology and obstetrics.

"Dr. King was a multitalented clinician, teacher, researcher, and manager who, as a leader for this organization, created a sea of stability for programs," says Dr. Albert Siemens, FHI chief executive officer. "He had a big heart for women and their families and an understanding of medicine and culture that transcended borders."

Dr. Ward Cates, president and chief executive officer for FHI's Institute for Family Health, recalls Dr. King's commitment to "advancing the reproductive choices of women worldwide and improving both the quality of, and access to, global reproductive health services. He had a special compassion for the most vulnerable populations, seeking ways to make the full spectrum of fertility-control options available to them."

In addition to his contributions to FHI, Dr. King was a founder, trustee, and later president of the Johns Hopkins Program for International Education in Gynecology and Obstetrics (JHPIEGO), and authored more than 150 publications on such topics as heart disease and pregnancy, contraception, adolescent pregnancy programs, and female reproductive physiology.