A tribute to Alexander Davidson Bain: An NMR pioneer and mentor at McMaster University

Abstract In this tribute to our friend, mentor and colleague Alexander Davidson Bain we have collectively recapitulated the milestones of his career at McMaster university. We start from Alex's scientific and educational achievements and continue with his accomplishments as a community and infrastructure builder. We attempt to provide a sense of the breadth and depth of his seemingly endless scientific contributions while at McMaster by briefly summarizing selected representative examples from his body of work. Following Alex's lead, the scientific account is mixed with anecdotes and “bits of wisdom” we fondly remember from our interactions and collaborations with him. We also touch upon his brilliant and nurturing educational style and his “aggregator” role within the McMaster and wider NMR communities. We conclude with a more personal picture of Alex D. Bain, in which his scientific excellence and profound intellect are inextricably tied to his kind, nurturing and optimistic character and to his uniquely wry humor. He was not just a “good guy,” he was the epitome of the “good guy.”