Dr Gerald Rodnan was a man of many talents who developed a single-minded fascination with the disease systemic sclerosis. His passion and vision led to numerous important research contributions to our understanding of the natural history of this disease and his extensive travel and teaching stimulated many other investigators in the United States and throughout the world to devote their careers to this uncommon but serious disorder. He indeed was a “Giant” in rheumatology and those of us who had the opportunity to train under him have been inspired to carry it forward.