was a giant of pediatric neurology. He formed a large department of pediatric neurology at the Children's Hospital of Washington, D.C., in the early 1960s. Before that, he had been in close touch with those in Europe-people like André Thomas, Albrecht Peiper, and Ronnie Mac Keithwho were contributing as pioneers to the field of child neurology. As a teacher, he was a splendid example of how a professional should be rich with curiosity yet rigorous about the scientific approach. To study with him was a constant intellectual adventure; he had the gifts of clarity and patience. To his patients, he brought the best in diagnosis and treatment. He was gentle with the children and much appreciated by their parents. His distinguished teaching attracted students from around the world. Three of the authors of this book-Mary Coleman, Michele Zappella, and Yoshiko Nomura-benefited from his creative erudition. In the case of Mary Coleman, the brilliant teaching of Richmond Paine changed her planned specialty from adult to pediatric neurology. He also handed her Bernard Rimland's book on autism with a recommendation to read it, sparking a lifelong interest in this subject. Michele Zappella entered the department as a fellow in Neurology. He remembers how generous Paine was with him: for example, initially, until Zappella could find a place to live in town, Paine took him into his home for several days as if he were a son. Subsequently, Paine favored Zappella's research in all possible ways, allowing him to write various articles and a book on congenital encephalopathies, the first one written in Italian in which Richmond Paine wrote a good introduction. He also supported Zappella's initial interest in child psychiatry and allowed him to attend the corresponding department in the afternoons. In the following years, when Zappella began to deal with children with autism, Rich-vi Dedication mond's teaching was the basis upon which it was possible to imagine new subgroups and syndromes. Yoshiko Nomura came to Children's Hospital of Washington, D.C., with the dream of learning from Richmond Paine after having been fascinated by his original works. Although greatly disappointed that he was gone when she arrived, her learning from the team left behind by Richmond Paine determined her career.