The International Thermal Conductivity Conference was started in 1961 with the initiative of Mr. Charles F. Lucks, who passed away on 8 July 1982 and to the memory of whom this volume is dedicated. These Conferences on thermal conductivity grew out of the needs of researchers in the field. The Conferences were held annu­ ally from 1961 to 1973 and have been held biennially since 1975 when our Center for Information and Numerical Data Analysis and Synthesis (CINDAS) of Purdue University became the Permanent Sponsor of the Conferences. These Conferences provide a broadly based forum for researchers actively working on the thermal conduc­ tivity and closely related properties to convene on a regular basis to exchange their ideas and experiences and report their findings and results. The Conferences have been self-perpetuating and are an example of how a technical community with a common purpose can transcend the invisible, artificial barriers between disciplines and gather together in increasing numbers without the need of national pub­ licity and continuing funding support, when they see something worthwhile going on. It is believed that this series of Conferences not only will grow stronger, but will set an example for research­ ers in other fields on how to jointly attack their own problem areas.