Herbert Hauptman, SUNY Buffalo
I attended elementary school in the Bronx, then Townsend Harris
Hill High School in Manhattan, (CCNY (B.S.), Columbia University
(M.A.), University of Maryland (Ph.D.)
Outstanding Teachers:
Professor Emil Post who taught “Theory
of Functions of a Real Variable” (CCNY). Also outstanding
were Professors Dick Wick Hall and Richard A. Good who taught “Topological
Groups” at the University of Maryland.
The greatest challenge was the phase problem of x-ray crystallography.
This challenge was overcome through hard work and persistence
spanning many years despite universal opposition from the crystallographic
community.
Winning the Nobel Prize meant acceptance of our work on the
part of the crystallographic community that for many years
had rejected our work as not valid. To be vindicated in this
way was important and meant a lot to me.
I continue to work on the phase problem that, like any good
problem, continues to provide significant challenges.
Stem cell research is of the greatest importance and should
receive major unconditional support. I find it incredible,
and incredibly short sighted, that there is any resistance
to this research.
What can one say about
Einstein’s work but that it demonstrates
once again that the importance of fundamental scientific research
cannot be exaggerated and should receive major public support
and encouragement because of the benefits to society which
it returns. #
