The renin system for long-term control over vasoconstriction and sodium-volume homeostasis in the spectrum of hypertension: three new frontiers in research

Of course we are all very pleased to be here to wish Professor Franz Gross a Happy Birthday and it goes without saying that we are all expecting many more of these for him as well as a continuing dynamic career. Professor Franz Gross, I don't need to tell any of you, - but I can't resist restating it - has been one of the great scientists of our field and of this era. He has also proven himself to be a great educator of other scientists and a great administrator. I have known Franz since 1960 when I telephoned him from Evian at the First International Congress of Nephrology to discuss our areas of mutual interest. I had just been able to get a translation of Franz' papers. In those days Franz never published in English and most of us in the United States weren't exposed to papers in German