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HOUSTON -- Everyone, including legends like Dr. Neil Frank, has mentors.

Doc looked up to Dr. Robert Simpson from the National Hurricane Center. He's the man behind the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale.

Simpson still remembers Doc.

“His ability to communicate was probably the one thing, besides his good preparation as a meteorologist, to deal with any problem that the hurricane presented,” he said.

Dr. Simpson says that Doc’s personality shined through, even in those early years as a meteorologist.

“He was always helping other people there that couldn’t solve their problems and as a result he had a hard time getting his own Ph.D because he didn’t spend enough time on his own work. I had to conspire with Velma, his wife, to get him to finish,” he said.

In 1987, Doc decided to take a chance and joined Channel 11 despite what Dr. Simpson said.

“He asked my opinion on that and I frankly told him I didn’t think it was the thing to do. I thought his professional abilities could probably be used better elsewhere in research. But I was wrong. I think he did probably more useful work in Houston than he would have done anywhere else,” he said.

It’s a decision everyone who has grown to rely on Doc is glad he made.