Walter Russell Brain was born in Reading on 23 October 1895 and went to School at Mill Hill. As it was anticipated that he might later go to the University to read law, he was on the classical side at school, but as he discovered quite early that he was more interested in science he had to be contented with reading the books of his companions on the science side. He left school in 1913 and spent the next year at Reading University as a preparation for Oxford where he entered New College in 1914 to read history. By this time the first world war had broken out and as he was opposed to warfare he joined the Friends' Ambulance Unit. His special interest in photography enabled him to work in the hospital x-ray department at first in York, but ultimately at the King George Hospital, London where he met a VAD, Stella Langston-Down and they fell in love. It was with her encouragement that he decided to do medicine and therefore he returned to New College in 1919 for the clinical course. He married Stella shortly before that course commenced, and graduated BM BCh (Oxon) in 1922. These details about Brain's early life have been included because of the remarkable fact that the man who ultimately became so distinguished as a physician specializing in neurology, and as an outstanding leader of the profession, not only as President of the Royal College of Physicians, but also as chairman of several professional and scientific bodies, should have entered the medical world only as the result of a war of which he strongly disapproved. His special interest in diseases of the nervous system and in psychological disorders commenced shortly after graduation and he was soon appointed to the staff of the Maida Vale Hospital, and of the London Hospital, and his publications, both papers and books, which were characterized by profound knowledge and lucid exposition, won him well-deserved fame. In addition to his pre-eminence as a physician, Russell Brain became renowned for his statesman-like qualities when in charge of committees or commissions, and also for his literary ability as an essayist and poet. When presiding over meetings his colleagues were always impressed by his grasp of the situation under discussion, and his ability to foretell the results of actions proposed, and he was thus enabled to lead by persuasion rather than by overriding power. He was President of the Royal College of Physicians during the difficult period of 1950-1957, and his success in that office led both to many other responsible appointments, and also to the award of honorary degrees by several universities, and Honorary Fellowships of Colleges at home and abroad, including the Honorary FRCS in 1958. Brain was a tireless worker, and besides his own numerous literary works he edited the journal *Brain* from 1954 till the time of his death. He thus had little time for leisure, but continued to supervise his garden even after he had not the time to work in it himself. He had an ideally happy family life with his wife Stella, their sons Christopher and Michael and daughter Janet. When he died after a short illness on 29 December 1966 his wife and family survived him.