They certainly were correct when they said, "Timing is everything" (whoever "they" are). As fate would have it, this is actually the second 25th anniversary issue that I have introduced, as I was lucky enough to be in my current position when LCGC North America celebrated its 25th anniversary way back in 2007. I found myself thinking about this fact a great deal as I read through the great retrospective articles in this issue by Spectroscopy veteran Howard Mark ("Milestones in Spectroscopy") and long-time Spectroscopy editor Mike MacRae ("Spectroscopy Uncensored: An Insider's Story of the First 15 years").

David Walsh

With all of the great minds and unbelievably dedicated people who have come and gone and made such long-lasting contributions to these publications, the chances that I would be here for such a monumental milestone in the history of not only LCGC, but now Spectroscopy, is certainly a humbling honor. Sir Isaac Newton knew of which he spoke when he talked about "Standing on the shoulders of giants."

So now we find ourselves in this, the 25th anniversary issue of Spectroscopy, and perhaps even more than most issues, this is truly an issue for you, the reader. It is no secret that Spectroscopy has some of the most loyal and dedicated readers in the industry, and I'm betting that more than a few of you will enjoy the wistful nostalgia evoked by Mike MacRae's trip down memory lane ("Spectroscopy Uncensored: An Insider's Story of the First 15 Years"). For as is the case with most good pieces of writing, in the process of telling us one thing (in this case, the history of Spectroscopy), he ends up telling us something about ourselves in the process. A story about Spectroscopy's first editor-in-chief or the staff in the early 1990s not only reminds us of the beginnings of a great publication, it also reminds us of where we were and what we were doing at a certain place in time. It reminds us of people we knew and places we visited.

Personally, I got an immense kick out of seeing some of the people I've come to know in recent years as much younger men and women in Mike's photo collection, and I think many of you will, too. In short, this is an issue for remembering and celebrating the first 25 years of a very special publication, and I hope you will enjoy reading the issue as much as we at Spectroscopy enjoyed putting it together and writing it for you.

David Walsh

Editor-in-Chief

David.Walsh@advanstar.com