The Late Great Nevin Scrimshaw

Last month Nevin Scrimshaw passed away. He was 95.

He was a giant, perhaps THE giant, in the field of nutrition.  His achievements are myriad.

What I admired about him:

* his ability to marry research and action (he invented post weaning foods that were healthy and used local foods--such as Incaparina);

*  his commitment to founding and building institutions (INCAP in Central America, the nutrition department at MIT, the Food and Nutrition Bulletin journal at the UN University),

* his intellectual drive (he is credited with the acceptance of the idea that nutrition and infection interact)

* his lack of dogma (I didn't already know what he was going to say when he spoke up in a meeting).

Here are a couple of nice pieces on his life--one from the New York Times and one from Alok Bhargava, a highly respected economist working in this field, writing for Economics and Human Biology.

Most lovely of all--Nevin's was not an ego that had to be handled with extreme care. He was a gentleman and always had time for a young whippersnapper.

He was an inspiration to millions and he will be missed.