Stephen Hawking: In April 2013, Dr. Hawking visited San Diego to pay tribute to a former classmate and benefactor for his research. During his brief stay in San Diego, Dr. Smith was able to follow-up a meeting that he had with Dr. Hawking in Cambridge, in 1991. At that time Dr. Hawking agreed to write the Prologue for "Handbook of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis," that Dr. Smith edited. The book was published a year later but Dr. Hawking had not seen it. Further, at their initial meeting, Dr. Hawking asked if Dr. Smith was aware of a cure for ALS. Thinking that both the book and a recent paper authored by Dr. Smith and his colleagues regarding a therapeutic strategy for treating ALS, would be of interest to Dr. Hawking the organizers of the visit agreed to arrange the meeting which took place April 13. The Prologue is an inspiring document written by one of the great minds of the 20th & 21st Century.
