James Burke, renowned scientist and popular science host, passed away at his home on April 13, 1996 from a longstanding battle with cancer. He was 64. A Harvard graduate and National Science Foundation postdoctoral fellow, James Burke was lauded as a driven, innovative scientist and highly revered as an communicator of scientific facts to the public. He co-authored several books and also came to be widely known through his hosting of BBC’s popular science series Connections and The Burke Specials. James was a staunch advocate of the public’s right to access scientific knowledge and understood the enormous potential the field of technology had to reshape and possibly improve our lives. He served in a variety of important capacities, and his talks to various scientific and business communities around the world over the course of his career had a lasting impact. He is survived by his wife, three children, three grandchildren and many friends and admirers throughout the world. He will be greatly missed and remembered for his exceptional contribution to the world of science.