Dr. Samson majored in Chemistry at Duke University and after serving in the US Army received his PhD in Physiology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center under the tutelage of Dr. S. M. McCann. As an Assistant Professor at UTSWMC, Dr. Samson directed his attention to actions of newly described vasoactive peptides in the central control of cardiovascular function, stress hormone secretion, and fluid and electrolyte homeostasis, establishing lasting collaborations with Dr. José Antunes Rodrigues (USP-Ribeirao Preto, Brazil) and Dr. Alastair V. Ferguson (Queen’s University, Ontario, Canada). Dr. Samson and his collaborator Dr. Jerry Fulton (UTSWMC) were first to apply cytotoxin-mediated cell targeting to study the physiological roles of the natriuretic peptides and oxytocin, the latter studies in collaboration with Drs. Edward Stricker and Joseph G. Verbalis (Univ. of Pittsburgh).