ABSTRACT.Vance Tartar (1911‐1991) has made major discoveries concerning morphogenesis, patterning, and nucleocytoplasmic relations in the giant ciliateStentor coeruleus, mostly by means of hand‐grafting using glass microneedles. This article provides a chronological account of the major events of Vance Tartar's life, a brief description of some of his major scientific achievements, and a discussion of his distinctive personality and multifaceted interests. It concludes with a consideration of how his unique style of life and work contributed to his equally unique seientific contributi