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I asked father to step into my room, I had something to show him. I was bursting with pride as I removed the cover from the table and displayed to him my latest invention. He was seated in the only chair and placing his head in his hands said, "Oh, God, what have I done to bring this upon myself?" I was showing him a helicopter.

As he turned on his heel and left the room, I dramatically said, "some day you will be sorry you made fun of my efforts."

Having been snubbed by my adored father and deeply hurt by his lack of understanding, the vow which I made to myself was sincere and final. I"d make him eat those words. Some day he"d be proud of me.

My dreams had a sad interruption when, at Detroit time later, I witnessed an ascension. In this case the aeronaut was giving a performance on the trapeeze as the balloon rapidly ascended. To the amazement and horror of everyone, he missed his grip on the trapeeze bar and fell to the ground from a height of about one thousand feet, striking a board sidewalk. He was instantly killed. For some time I seemed to lack interest in becoming an aeronaut.

My interest in mathematics and physics became intensified in high school, so much so that I enrolled in a night school class for electrical engineers. The classes were held in the Chamber of Commerce Building. This course became the basis of my technical training which served me well in