Charlie Houston honored at CU Med school (Bill Moyers NOW)

my brother Ed Whitney was blessed to attend a special tribute to Charlie Houston..... NOW's Bill Moyers did a wonderful piece on Charlie on his Dec. 10, 2005 program, hope you can find it in an archive!!!!!! Daddy (Roger Whitney, MD... his webpage is http://members.aol.com/Annieokl/daddy.index.html ) was climbing and Doctor buddies with Charlie; when they lived in Aspen Colo. we would visit frequently and enjoy the skiing, and in summer the glorious hiking, esp. Maroon Bells.... where daddy taught us to skip rocks!!!!! Dee Molenaar, one of the attendees and friend, did a gorgeous watercolor of Maroon Bells which hangs in my home today........... here is ed's accounting of the day, and a few photos at the end............. This little symposium was mainly a big tribute to Charlie Houston, with a mix of doctors and climbers and people who were both. Charlie was the first person to publish a description of high altitude pulmonary edema in English, and is the major world pioneer in high altitude medicine. The medical school is endowing a Charlie Houston chair in the school of medicine (about a $2 million proposition) and a high altitude research laboratory. He is nearly completely blind now, but when I said "Roger Whitney" he brightened up and gave me a hug and could remember routes Dad had climbed with Bradley Gilman. I could remember their big dog named Mouse, which was great fun since he said that the name came from his paws being enor-mouse. Dee Molenaar was there too, and he remembered how Dad was invited to K2 in 1938 but broke his leg skiing and couldn't go. And of course Charlie and Dee and Bob Craig all remembered Mom and Betsy Coales. The editor of the Journal of the AMA was there, who had known Charlie for many decades, and one of the doctors who was involved in the eradication of smallpox was there, and they all paid tribute to the effect of Charlie on their lives. Congressman Mark Udall was there from Boulder (he knew Charlie from an Everest expedition long ago). Seeing people who could remember Dad was especially great. Bob Craig looked at me with a glint of recognition and said he could see Dad in me. That sure touched my heart! Lots of people were there crowding around but I did get a chance to visit just a bit. Bob Bates, who was also on K2, was there. I don't think we ever met him. But his wife remembered Dad. Most of the meeting was people remembering how Charlie had inspired them and taught them and made a difference in their lives. The medical school gave him an honorary degree. Bob Moyers was unable to attend but sent a message (he had been involved in getting the honorary degree to Charlie). So here are some pictures. lovexoxoxoxoxo