This article introduces the November 2005 issue of MRS Bulletin on the life and works of Arthur Robert von Hippel, who pioneered the interdisciplinary approach to materials research. This issue of MRS Bulletin celebrates his long life, his large volume of work, and the overall impact he had on materials research as practiced today. This introductory article summarizes the start and progression of the various fields presented in this issue, and how many were inspired directly by von Hippel's work and ways, and how new fields continue to emerge based on the same foundations of interdisciplinarity. The articles in this issue cover research areas in which von Hippel was involved, namely, ferroelectrics and magnetism; fields that thrived on an interdisciplinary approach that von Hippel represented, such as semiconductors; and areas that reflect his own vision about materials research and interests later in life, including molecular design and biomaterials. Before the scientific work is presented, the issue begins with a personal sketch of von Hippel, contributed by his son Frank N. von Hippel.