The International Society of Nephrology years: a perspective.

It is reasonable to argue that Ike's contributions mirror closely the extraordinary growth and development of the ISN in the last two decades. As we noted at the outset of this article, Ike's tenure on the Executive Committee is the longest tenure of any individual to date. Further, it is improbable, given the current structure of the Executive Committee, that the duration of his tenure will be equaled, at least in the near future. More importantly, one can measure the impact of his tenure in terms of formidable accomplishments. These include, at a minimum, the development of Kidney International both as an academic triumph and as a fiscally sound organ; the initial formulation of a reasonable and apparently enduring model for the Forefronts in Nephrology series; and the transformation of the ISN Congresses to their current format. Lastly, we should stress another contribution of Ike's to the ISN, clearly palpable to those of us who have served on the Executive Committee. That is, his consistent wisdom and diplomacy, his dedicated preoccupation with maintaining the international flavor of the ISN, and his consistent insistence on the needs of our colleagues in emerging nations. When taken in the context of the contributions described in this note, these are no mean accomplishments and this Supplement in his honor becomes a small token of our appreciation for these contributions.