King Albert Medal of Merit Award. The King Albert Memorial Foundation awarded its King Albert Medal of Merit to Dr. Charles S. Houston, who is an Honorary Member of the AAC. The King Albert Foundation is an institution founded in memory of the late King Albert of the Belgians, who perished in a solo rock climb at Marche LesDames near Brussels in 1934. In awarding the medal, the Foundation cited Dr. Houston’s studies, distinguished research, and leadership as follows: “Dr. Charles S. Houston, born in New York in 1913, Mountaineer, Scientist, Teacher and Doctor of Medicine, first brought to the world’s attention the previously obscure illness High Altitude Pulmonary Edema, which even today kills the unwary who go to the mountains. For 40 years he has studied problems caused by lack of oxygen, exploring the mechanisms of Man's acclimatization to high altitude on mountains and in decompression chambers. He has enlarged our understanding of acute mountain sickness, high altitude retinal hemorrhage and cerebral edema and has written many books and scores of articles about mountain medicine and his own climbs. Since 1975 he has organized the world renowned International Hypoxia Symposia. Dr. Houston has climbed in the Alps, Alaska and the Himalaya, leading expeditions to Nanda Devi, K2 and the first reconnaissance group to the south (Nepal) side of Mt. Everest.”