Armed with a PhD in Organic Chemistry from UCLA in 1953, Professor Hawthorne went on to establish himself as a giant in Inorganic Chemistry. He was a true chemistry pioneer, discovering boron cluster structures that have paved the way in inorganic, organometallic, material, nanotechnology and medicinal sciences. He returned to UCLA in 1968 and was a distinguished Professor of Inorganic Chemistry for thirty-three years. After retiring from UCLA Professor Hawthorne moved to the University of Missouri to further his research, and in so doing broadened the field even more. Along the way as he shaped and broadened the field, he also touched the lives of countless students, faculty, researchers, friends and family throughout the world. Along with many other awards at home and internationally, in honor of his contributions, the American Chemical Society established the “M. Frederick Hawthorne Award in Main Group Inorganic Chemistry” in 2017.