The University of the West Indies has learnt with regret of the death of Professor Emeritus of Social and Preventive Medicine, Sir Kenneth Standard. Sir Kenneth died on Monday, August 2 after a long illness. In a tribute to Professor Standard, UWI Vice Chancellor, Prof. the Hon. Rex Nettleford hailed the public health pioneer for his contribution to that field. Professor Nettleford said that no one in the Caribbean region has had a greater commitment to Community Health than Ken Standard. “He always felt that the most important people in the medical field were the medical officers of health, who had responsibility for primary health care throughout the country”, the Vice Chancellor said. Sir Kenneth was born in 1920 in Barbados. He began his working life as a teacher at the then Lynch Secondary School where he taught hygiene and public health principles. He attributes to this experience the birth of his subsequent life-long interest in public health. He launched his medical career at the then University College of the West Indies at Mona in 1948, becoming one of the now famous band of thirty-three which comprised the first group of medical students to enter the Medical Faculty at the University College. In 1961, Dr. Standard joined the staff of UCWI as lecturer in the then recently established division of Social and Preventive Medicine. His climb up the ladder was impressive. He was appointed Head of Department in 1966 and two years later, he was appointed to the Chair. He remained Professor and Head of the Department until his retirement in 1989. Professor Standard has received numerous awards for his work and was made a Commander of the Order of Distinction by the Government of Jamaica. Internationally, his worth was recognised by the World Health Organisation among other institutions. On the recommendation of the Government of Barbados, her Majesty the Queen also conferred on him the Order of Knight Bachelor. In celebrating its 100th Anniversary in 2002, the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) named Sir Kenneth Standard one of eleven “Public Health Heroes of the Americas” in recognition of his pioneering work in public health. The UWI offers sincerest condolences to his widow, Lady Standard and to their daughter, Dr. Aileen Standard Goldson, medical officer at the University Health Centre at Mona.