In Memoriam: Robert Emmons Kissling (1923–2013)

R Kissling, a pillar of US Center for Disease Control (CDC) infectious diseases programs through an era of great programmatic and institutional growth (1947– 1973), died November 13, 2013 at his home in North Carolina. Through his years at CDC, Bob led investigations of great diversity and impact, always with the same sense of openness, integrity, composure, and respect for everyone involved. The fondest of memories return; they remind the authors, his colleagues, and friends that it was with this attitude that the viral disease programs of CDC were established and have been maintained through the years. Bob, as an eminent virologist and a leader of CDC’s viral disease programs, left a permanent legacy. Born in Toledo, Ohio, Bob attended Otterbein College, was awarded a DVM and an MSc from the College of Veterinary Medicine, Ohio State University, and then spent a year at the graduate school of the University of California at Davis. In 1947, the year after CDC was founded, he joined the US Public Health Service and began a long and distinguished career with CDC, then known as the Communicable Disease Center. The 1950s was a period of great progress in field and laboratory research in virology and at CDC’s Virus and Rickettsia Section in Montgomery, Alabama. Bob began collaborative studies of the natural history, epidemiology, and pathogenesis of vectorborne viral encephalitides and began a career-long interest in rabies research; CDC developed an outstanding reputation in these areas, not the least because of Bob’s contributions. While in Montgomery, Bob married Martha Eidson, his laboratory technician, and they had 3 children. In 1958, Bob and guest researcher Robert Goldwasser succeeded in adapting the then-new immunofluorescence methodology to detect rabies viral antigen in brain specimens of animals suspected of being rabid (1). Field trials provided proof of its 100% sensitivity, specificity,