There are some people who are so foundational to who we are as a Medical School that we can't imagine what our trajectory would have been without them. Last Saturday, one those people passed away. Dr. James Boulger was part of the founding fabric of our Duluth Campus and faculty there for nearly 50 years. He directly impacted thousands of lives as a teacher, clinician and colleague, and impacted hundreds of thousands of people with his pursuit of better care for Northern Minnesota, and rural and Native American communities. His legacy is proof that combining passion with compassion can truly have an impact on the world. I hope that we can honor his work and let it inspire us on our own.