Just about exactly fifty years ago – this month, as I recall – I walked into the office of the chemistry department chairman at SMU and asked to become a chemistry major. It was among my better decisions. The fit has proven to be perfect.
(These comments were presentedby Larry R. Faulkner at the ceremony commemorating Honorary Membership in The Electrochemical Society for Allen J. Bard and John B. Goodenough, University of Texas at Austin, Texas, November 23, 2013.)
I have loved the science and its history. I have loved its relevance to the world at large. I have even loved the fact that chemists are workaholics. It’s notable, in fact, that when I went to see the department chairman back in 1963, it was about eight o’clock in the evening. The light was on in his office, as it was practically every night. While he didn’t warmly welcome my interruption, he still helped me – and Professor Harold Jeskey became an important mentor and a lifelong friend.
