In Memory of David Charles

This issue is dedicated to the memory ofDavid Charles, who died on August 2, 1993, leaving a void affecting many academicians and clinicians in obstetrics and gynecology throughout the world. For those of you who may not have known him, David was Welsh by birth and educated in London. He held certifications in obstetrics and gynecology from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, the Canadian College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the American Board of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Aside from some time spent in Canada, he resided in the United States for many years. He chaired the Departments of Obstetrics and David Charles Gynecology at Boston University School of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, and Marshall University School of Medicine. His accomplishments include, most notably, his active role as a founding member of the Infectious Disease Society for Obstetrics and Gynecology. Among the honors bestowed upon him were membership on the Canadian Council of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, presidency of the Infectious Disease Society for Obstetrics and Gynecology, and membership on the American Representative Committee of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. His work and publications, particularly related to infectious diseases of pregnancy, have made an enormous contribution to our knowledge and advancement in this area. I would like to thank each of the contributors as well as Nancy McComas of Marshall University School of Medicine for making this memorial issue possible. Each contributor has prepared an article for this issue as a tribute to the work and accomplishments of David Charles. Here are their expressions of appreciation and memories of David Charles, the physician, the academician, and the man.