O. A. Weber

English

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C4IN MEMORIAMProf dr Velimir B. Vouk1919-1984Velimir Vouk, an internationally recognized scientist and expert in thestudy of the relationship between chemical agents and environmental healthdied on 23 July 1984 at Nort Carolina Memorial Hospital in Chapel Hill, N. C.,USA. The Croatian Chemical Society has lost its former President (1960---1962), this journal a member of the Editorial Board (1952-1964) and thescientific community of this country a distinguished colleague.Some people build their lives around a specialized therne, asingle thread;Vouk built his around many, and by the end he had woven them into a richand harmonious fabric. No one but Vouk himself could be fully aware of allramifications of his varied endeavours. This writer who had known him asa supervisor, co-worker and colleague for a few years, and as an intimatefriend for some thirty years, cannot hope to do justice to more than limitedaspects of his multifaceted life.Vouk's career, which led to international distinction, friends throughoutthe world, and extensive travel and work in almost all parts of the globe,radiated from the region of Lika: Born on 9 December 1919 in Gospić, Croatia,V. B. Vouk grew up and was educated in Zagreb where he graduated inchemical engineering in 1944. Having spent two academic years at the LondonSchool of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine under C. N. Davies, T. Bedford andS. Masey he received his Ph. D. in physics from University of London inDecember 1948 after successfully defending the thesis: »Scattering and Ex-tinction of Light by Dust Particles«. At the same time he studied statistics,statistical mechanics, thermodynamics and mathematical methods in physicsand quantum mechanics at post-gradu ate level and received correspondingcertificates of the University of London. The experience gained at the timeserved him in good stead for his later teaching engagements at home inthese, then relatively new subjects.Dr Vouk started his teaching career at the University of Zagreb as Lectu-rer in the Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, in 1945.In 1949 he moved to the Department of Hygiene and Social Medicine, Facultyof Medicine where he was promoted to Senior Lecturer (1952) and AssociateProfessor (1955). In 1960 he was elected Associate Professor in Physical Che-mistry, Faculty of Science. From 1954 to 1956 he was appointed ActingDirector and in the period from 1959 to 1964 he held the position of theDirector of the Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health ofthe Yugoslav Academy of Sciences and Arts in Zagreb.From 1964 to 1967 he was Visiting Professor and Consultant for healthand safety at the Atomic Energy Establishment in Cairo, Egypt, and for theperiod 1967-1980 he worked within the Division of Environmental Health,re5World Health Organization, Geneva. In 1974 Dr Vouk was appointed Chiefof the Control of Environmental Pollution and Hazards Unit, and in 1973Manager of the Environmental Health Criteria and Standards Unit. In thesecapacities his main responsibility was the preparation of environmental healthcriteria documents, which became the most authoritative scientific informat-ion in the field of environmental health. He took a very active part in theplanning of the new International Programme on Chemical Safety.In 1980 Dr Vouk became Visiting Scientist at the National Institute ofEnvironmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), Research Triangle Park, NorthCarolina, USA. In 1983 he was appointed Acting Director and in 1984 Directorof the Office of Health Hazard Assessment with in the same Institute.Dr Vouk has written more than one hundred papers in the field of phy-sics, physical and analytical chemistry, physiology, and environmental health.Dr Vouk was co-editor with L. Friberg and G. F. Nordberg of the »Htuul-book on the Toxicology of MetaIs«, published by Elsevier, Amsterdam, in1977.. His ideas, knowledge and stringent analytical views were invaluable inthe preparation of this Handbook. Dr Vouk is co-editor of the second editionof the Handbook which is in preparation.Dr Vouk's rich scientific background, his sound judgement and extensiveexperience made him an outstanding authority in his field. He will also beremembered as a loyal, generous and warm friend who always responded toa request for advice or assistance and who has given to many of us manypleasant and bright memories. He will certainly be missed by his manycolleagues and friends.It seems appropriate to end this obituary by quoting Dr David P. Rall,NIEHS Director who said: »The sense of shock can be felt tangibly amonghis colleagues at NIEHS. However, despite the sudden loss of Dr Vouk, allof us feel privileged to have work ed with this exceptional scientist, who wasalso a fine human being and a friend.«o. A. WebeT

Prof. dr. Velimir B. Vouk 1919-1984

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