Dr. Randall L. Thompson, 98, who worked at NIH in the early 1960's and spent 7 years in Southeast Asia as a medical affairs representative of the federal government, died Oct. 10 in Asheville, N.C.

Thompson came to NIH in 1961 as a medical officer and worked on a program in tumor virus chemotherapy with NCI. He joined NIAID in 1963 as special assistant to the institute's associate director for collaborative research.

In 1964, he joined the Office of International Research — the precursor of what is now the Fogarty International Center — as scientific representative in New Delhi, India. The post was part of the program area of the Pacific Office in Tokyo. Thompson served in this position until retiring in 1972, when he moved to the Asheville area, where he was active in the Unitarian Universalist Church.

He is survived by a son, Gregory, of Austin, Tex., a daughter-in-law, Veryan, also of Austin, and two grandsons.