Perhaps the story about this man should be written in a detached way, akin to a perception of mountains that reveal their majesty softened by distance and the mists of time. That task I leave to those who have not known Dr. Warkany personally. This story is written by a friend who could not have become an adversary. Perhaps the view is narrow, but it is close to the mountain and I hope I can bring others to discover their own vistas. The quotations cited are signals of cardinal views, samples of linguistic virtuosity, notations of feelings and concerns that are characteristic of this man.
Readers can remedy shortcomings by consulting the bibliography.
Robert L. Brent, Robert Miller, Kurt Benirschke, Jack Rubinstein, Peter Dignan, Clarke Fraser, Harold Kalter, and many others. They encouraged me to commit to print thoughts which I expressed earlier during a recent tribute to Dr. Warkany. I address Dr. Warkany as Don Jos , a Spanish term I have bestowed on him because it denotes dignity, affection, and respect for those whose blend of knowledge and living philosophy becomes a source of knowledge and strength to others. Josef Warkany was born in Vienna in 1902, a city that harbored traditions and a university that is identified with the germinal core of modern medicine. These evolving theories of biologic predeterminism promised to reveal secrets from the past and to lead to future utopias.