My Grandfather was a nuclear physicist, and one day your child can be one too. I’ve written about my grandfather before, but I wanted to bring him up again as you prepare your children for the upcoming school year. My grandfather, my father’s father, conducted experiments for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) at the Plum Brook Reactor Facility in Sandusky, Ohio. My grandfather, born 1927, in Liberty, Texas, was the youngest of twenty children from a Creole family originally of Arnaudville, Louisiana.
When my grandfather was 14-years-old he joined the navy to fight in WWII. After the war, he took advantage of the G.I. Bill to go to college, where he met my grandmother.
In 1962, he joined NASA as a nuclear engineer. In 1966, my grandfather received his reactor’s operator license from the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission. My grandmother tells me that he would be exhausted after coming home late from experiments in the reactor. Below is a summary of my grandfather's work...
My grandfather, the scientist, was a father of four and very active in his community. A July 19, 1968 NASA newsletter, had this to say about my grandfather…
He died before I was born, but throughout most of my life, I’ve always been proud of who I am, and where I came from, in large parts due to him. I had to excel in everything, because I often imagined this large man looking down on me from heaven, judging me on my every move. Today when I think about my nieces and nephews, I can only hope that they follow in his footsteps. I want them to excel in math and science, because I know that’s where opportunity lies.
The future of tomorrow begins with innovation, and coming from a math and science background will lead to a very successful life. I don’t have any children, but I do hope that parents realize the magnitude of a focus on science; with competition for the latest advances in technology, only the smartest of minds will advance. Parents it’s very important that you push your children to get good grades and take an interest in these subjects. When your kids come home from school, ask to see their homework, and check their math assignments.
If you are not sure how to check their math, you may be able to find help towards the back of their text books. When I lived in Indianapolis, one of my sisters lived with me during her junior year in high school and I tried to check her assignments every night after I came in from work. It was very important that she did well while on my watch, and she did.
I think of all the young men and women who are not doing well, who are running from gun shots or towards a jail cell and I know that their future is not secure. But for this next generation, coming in, parents your children can have a successful life by studying hard in math and science and by following the path of innovation in advanced technologies. Who knows, maybe one day your child can be the one to discover the power source we need for a FTL (Faster Than Light) Drive for deep space human explorations or he/she will find an sustainable alternative energy source that can save this planet from ultimate destruction. Parents it’s up to you. My grandfather followed the path of math and science and did right by his family and community. Right now that path is wide open and ready for our future leaders to take a ride.
When my grandfather was 14-years-old he joined the navy to fight in WWII. After the war, he took advantage of the G.I. Bill to go to college, where he met my grandmother.
In 1962, he joined NASA as a nuclear engineer. In 1966, my grandfather received his reactor’s operator license from the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission. My grandmother tells me that he would be exhausted after coming home late from experiments in the reactor. Below is a summary of my grandfather's work...
"American scientists and engineers carried out the 'Atoms for Peace' initiative at nearly 200 research and test reactors built in the 1950s and 1960s. These types of reactors are very different from power reactors, which are built to produce power by converting radioactive heat into electricity. In contrast, research and test reactors are used for scientific and technical investigations. Research reactors help engineers design experiments and build better reactors, while test reactors generate powerful radiation fields that enable scientists to study how materials respond to radioactive environments. One of the most powerful in the world was the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) test reactor, located at Plum Brook Station in Sandusky, Ohio, near Lake Erie. From 1961 to 1973, this reactor was home to some of the most advanced nuclear experimentation in the United States." -NASA’s Nuclear Frontier: The Plum Brook Reactor Facility
My grandfather, the scientist, was a father of four and very active in his community. A July 19, 1968 NASA newsletter, had this to say about my grandfather…
"Thomas Jenkins, Reactor Division at Plum Brook, was recently appointed a member of the Lorain Metropolitan Housing Authority. Jenkins, who is active in civic affairs, is co-chairman of the Oberlin High School PTA, advisor for Boy Scout Explorer Post 401, is treasurer of Dollars for Scholars and is a member of the City Industrial Commission." -Lewis News: Lewis Research Center Vol. 5 No. 15
He died before I was born, but throughout most of my life, I’ve always been proud of who I am, and where I came from, in large parts due to him. I had to excel in everything, because I often imagined this large man looking down on me from heaven, judging me on my every move. Today when I think about my nieces and nephews, I can only hope that they follow in his footsteps. I want them to excel in math and science, because I know that’s where opportunity lies.
The future of tomorrow begins with innovation, and coming from a math and science background will lead to a very successful life. I don’t have any children, but I do hope that parents realize the magnitude of a focus on science; with competition for the latest advances in technology, only the smartest of minds will advance. Parents it’s very important that you push your children to get good grades and take an interest in these subjects. When your kids come home from school, ask to see their homework, and check their math assignments.
If you are not sure how to check their math, you may be able to find help towards the back of their text books. When I lived in Indianapolis, one of my sisters lived with me during her junior year in high school and I tried to check her assignments every night after I came in from work. It was very important that she did well while on my watch, and she did.
I think of all the young men and women who are not doing well, who are running from gun shots or towards a jail cell and I know that their future is not secure. But for this next generation, coming in, parents your children can have a successful life by studying hard in math and science and by following the path of innovation in advanced technologies. Who knows, maybe one day your child can be the one to discover the power source we need for a FTL (Faster Than Light) Drive for deep space human explorations or he/she will find an sustainable alternative energy source that can save this planet from ultimate destruction. Parents it’s up to you. My grandfather followed the path of math and science and did right by his family and community. Right now that path is wide open and ready for our future leaders to take a ride.
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