Page 11 - MY STORY

when called upon to do work on the blackboard. IIT’s

reason for giving me a trial was based solely on the
“aptitude” scoring – I was not qualified to enter based on
the comprehensive entrance exam.

I should point out that 1946 was the time when veterans
were taking full advantage of the GI bill after World War

II. These were serious, mature, driven men that created a
major problem for me, a kid fresh out of high school.
Their desire to learn and achieve was unmatched – it was

truly hard to stay level with those folk. The only saving
grace was that their math skills were not a lot better than

mine, and the “biddy” that taught that summer algebra
class took guff from no one, no matter their experiences,
age or prior rank while instilling our understanding of
math on a very individual basis. I have forgotten her

name, but not the experience and joy that came with
“burning-in” an understanding of the basic concepts of

algebra and trigonometry.

COLLEGE: 1946 - 1950

I started at IIT in fall of 1946. I had no idea it would be so
difficult adapting to an 18-credit hour technical
curriculum. The classes and lecture halls were jammed

solid with the returning veterans, and I found the pace too