BLEDSOE,WOODY - HIS LIFE AND LEGACY

Woodrow Wilson (Woody) Bledsoe died on 4 October 1995 of ALS, more com monly known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Woody was one of the founders of AI, making early contributions in pattern recognition and automated re asoning. He continued to make significant contributions to AI througho ut his long career. His legacy consists not only of his scientific wor k but also of several generations of scientists who learned from Woody the joy of scientific research and the way to go about it. Woody's en thusiasm, his perpetual sense of optimism, his can-do attitude, and hi s deep sense of duty to humanity offered those who knew him the hope a nd comfort that truly good and great men do exist.