Garth M. Bray, director of neurology at Montreal General Hospital, has been a personal friend of Martin's since they did their residency together in the 1960s.

"He's extremely warm," Bray said. "He's loyal to his friends, concerned about their joys and their sorrows."

"He's a remarkable person. That's a little trite, but it sums him up nicely," Bray continued.

Richard A. Murphy, the director of the Montreal Neurological Institute, called his colleague a "superstar administrator."

"He's obviously had a number of extremely important jobs and experiences at a very high level," Rudenstine said.

Others who have worked with Martin said they agreed with his characterization as a superb administrator.

"He's been in the administrative sector for many years, and he's proven himself," said Jack P. Antel, the chair of the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery at McGill University, a position Martin held in the 1970s.

"He is someone who is able to foresee developments in medicine," Antel said. "He really is a person who is a leader in the medical field in the broadest sense."

Model Academic Physician

Antel said that Martin, the author of more than 200 scientific articles, "has been the model of an academic physician over the years."

Martin is highly regarded internationally, according to Murphy.

"He began as a neuroanatomist," Murphy said. "He's always been an extremely strong clinical neurologist."

In 1989, Martin chaired a committee on mapping the human brain at the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences. He also collaborated in discovering the genetic marker for Huntington's disease, making early diagnosis possible.

"He's going to bring a superb knowledge of science and education to the position, as well as a vision of how a medical school should run in...a challenging time for academic medicine," said Anne Young, chief of neurology service at MGH.

"He is a gem," said Daniel D. Federman '49, dean for medical education. "He's a connecting kind of person. People relate easily to him."

"He is a good, not outstanding, tennis player," said Federman, who added he is looking forward to resuming regular matches with Martin. "I'm delighted to have him back."

But Martin said his return to Harvard might not coincide with a return to the court.

"My tennis has gone to pot," he said. "I've reached that horrible age where you wonder if you should start to play golf.