Heme proteins and the development of resonance Raman spectroscopy - A personal account

I recount here the events that led to the serendipitous discovery of inverse polarization and vibronic scattering in heme protein Raman spectra. These findings presaged the rapid development of the well-populated field of heme protein Raman studies. I emphasize the critical roles for discovery of persistence and of timely help from scientific friends.