Walter Joffe—(1922–1974)

The following tributes have been paid to Dr Walter Joffe, and it has been thought appropriate to print them as his obituary.

In the name of the International Psycho-Analytical Association, its Executive Council, its Component Societies and the whole psycho-analytic community, I want to pay tribute to the memory of Walter Joffe, President of the British Psycho-Analytical Society and Vice-President of the International Psycho-Analytical Association. His sudden and completely unexpected death has moved us profoundly. A few weeks previously he had presided at a meeting of the Programme Committee and had there once more shown his usual creativity and organizational talent. The International Congress in London will be a shining proof of this.

Others will testify to his career, achievements and scientific work. I would only like to say that his contributions to psychoanalysis gave him an international reputation. In recalling more personal memories I could not forget the many gestures of friendship and hospitality provided by the Joffes. I benefited from this many times. I want to tell his wife Rosalie and her children, with much emotion, of the loss we all feel and the pain we have for them. We hope to see them, in the course of time, weathering together this very painful ordeal which has affected psycho-analysis at the same time as it has affected them.

W. H. Gillespie

This is the second occasion in little more than three years that members of the British Psycho-analytical Society have to say farewell to a President who died during the tenure of that high office. There is a very special poignancy about the death of Wally Joffe, for he had barely attained the age of 52 years and was reaching the summit of a career which still held out immense promise for the future. We felt we could confidently anticipate that he would continue to be our President for more than a year to come. Up till the l