Professor dr R.W.B. Stephens Awarded the gold medal of the american acoustic society

Prof. Raymond W. B. STEPHENS from Great Britain, a friend of Poland and of Polish acousticians, was the first foreigner to receive the highest scientific distinction of the Acousti¬cal Society of America presented every two years for outstanding achievements in the field of acoustics.
He received this high honour for his merits as a physics teacher and experimentalist, as an author and editor ; as a founder and leader of acoustical societies, but aJove all as a. research supervisor who has taught and inspired a generation of acoustics students.
Prof. R. W. B. STEPHENS, who for many years had been in charge of an acoustic group at the Imperial College in London, always took care of Polish acousticians of whom a number worked in his group while many others visited it during their scientific stay in Great Britain. On many occasions he had paid visit to Poland and was guest of Polish acousti-cians. Little known is the fact that his contacts with Polish scientists date as far back as the World War II. At that time he was befriended with prof. Jazef MAZUR, the late leader of the Institute of Low Temperatures in Wroclaw.
Over a period of 45 years R. W. B. STEPHENS was associated with the Imperial College. Following his retirement in 1970 he retained a post as research fellow at Chelsea College. As the editor and author STEPHENS has contributed to scientific literature in several journal articles and a number of monographies on acoustics.
However, he is primarily known as a popular and valued teacher of the whole gene-ration of acousticians now active in many countries throughout the world. He is alio a co¬-editor of Acoustica; a European periodical enjoying a high recognition in the milieu of acousticians. •
We are glad and congratulate Prof. Stephens in receiving this new award.