Precipitation plays a crucial role in the global and regional hydrological cycle and in variations in the climate system. Research programs such as TOGA and GEWEX rely upon the availability of useful precipitation data covering continents and oceans. However, conventional observations using rain gauges and radars cover limited regions and are of little use over the oceans. In this presentation I will describe the research that led to the availability of global precipitation analyses such as CMAP and GPCP and Gene's role in inspiring and enabling the work.