ABSTRACT
One of the remarkable aspects of W. K. Estes' career is that his work has always been current; indeed, he has more than kept up with the field: He has consistently been a leader. Most recently, Bill has become interested in “connectionist” (also known as “parallel distributed processing” or “neural net”) models. We decided to reflect on these models as a tribute to Bill's work, and also as a demonstration of its continuing vitality. When we tried to outline this chapter, we discovered that we disagreed on fundamental points, and were not sure where Bill would fall on the issues. Thus, instead of trying to paper over our differences (which would leave a lumpy wall indeed!), we decided to air them, and perhaps draw Bill into yet another controversy. We felt that not only would we benefit from his wise reflections and broad perspective on these matters, but so would the field as a whole. Thus, we herald not the end of a career, but the beginning of a teaching-and committee-free phase of a career; we acknowledge not only a history of major contributions, but also a continuing role in the community. And we thank Bill not only for his generous spirit and steady hand as a colleague, but also for his guidance and patience. Bill has been a marvelous person to have in one's department, and we look forward to many more years of his company.
