John Szentagothai

[Michael A. Arbib]

John Szentagothai, the neuroanatomist, died at his home in 
Budapest on the morning of Thursday, September 8th.  He had
arisen early to work on a book, taken breakfast, and then sat down 
before going in to the Institute - and died immediately.  He was 
almost 82.

Professor Szentagothai has played a leading role in neuroanatomy 
for many decades, having already established a strong reputation 
prior to World War II.  In the years since then, he has been active 
in neuroscience in general, and in Hungarian science in particular 
where he created a strong, and international, school of Hungarian 
neuroanatomists, as well as serving as a vigorous president of the 
Hungarian Academy of Sciences.  His concern for his country 
continued with a recent term as member of the Hungarian 
parliament.

Of his many contributions to neuroscience, perhaps two are best 
known to modelers - his 1969 book on "The Cerebellum as a 
Neuronal Machine" (with Eccles and Ito) inspired Marr and Albus 
and many other cerebellar modelers; his 1974/5 book on 
"Conceptual Models of Neural Organization", and related 
articles, did much to extend our view of the modular and columnar 
organization of the brain.

His enthusiasm for exposition and his quest to understand the 
brain continued undiminished until the day he died.  I am grateful 
that his voice was heard for so long, but saddened indeed that I 
shall not hear it again.

Michael Arbib