Farewell to a Giant
Raymond L. Orbach
Under Secretary to Science
U.S. Department of Energy

September 25, 2007

The news that W.K.H. (Pief) Panofsky had died last night has struck me, and the world community, with a sense of severe loss.  Somehow this remarkable leader and contributor to society seemed destined to be with us indefinitely.  His absence leaves a gaping hole, unfillable by those of us remaining.  Pief created, and led for 23 years, the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, a generator of physical insights of which the scientific world remains in awe.  He was tireless in pursuit of national security, participating in the Manhattan Project, and leading our nation in pursuit of arms control.  He made himself available to all of us in need of his guidance, from the White House to those of us seeking more mundane assistance.  He affected for the better all who sought his advice.  We have lost a great personality, a giant among his peers.  We remain grateful for having had the chance to live and work with him.