Viewing page 151 of 169

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

515 Bash Court
Champaign, Illinois
February 25, 1959

Dear folks,

Well, we can all stop worrying now the prelim is "paused".  It lasted 3 hours, a little longer than usual, & I was prowling up & down outside the closed door for some time when he came out, his blue suit powdered with chalk from writing on the blackboard.  He was examined by 5 men, 4 physicists & a mathematician (minor in math). & did fairly well in all but two subjects - math & the specialty of the head of the examining committee!  This person had taught nuclear physics very differently from his original teacher, & he had not learned the same things, hence trouble.  But they passed him, he did well enough on the rest.

This exam, I guess, corresponds to the one dad took for the Doctorate in its seriousness - it is the last major exam, despite its title. The last exam, the "Final" is merely a formality which no one flunks, after which you are officially a Ph.D.

Tonight he is relaxing by reading Emma.