Page 41 - MY STORY

As I said, Charlie was demanding when it came to report

writing and data presentation. Aside from getting reports
back from his review with red correction marks all over
the place, he was also careful about how graphical data

was presented. Keep in mind that all graphical data was
hand drawn on preprinted vellum forms. I had generated
data (I now forget what variables) that plotted average

strength (3 specimens per point) vs. something. There
were three or four averaged points on the plot.

After using my point template to draw the points, I used
my trusty “french curve” to connect the points with a

smooth curve. Charlie was appalled by this plot, pointing
out that I had no right to draw a curve connecting the
points – there was not enough theory or data to assume
that the curve, as I drew it, existed between data points. I

had to redraw the plot with straight dashed lines between
the data points, and, by God, the line had better go

through the exact center of each average data point.

Frustrated, or not, the rigorous and meticulous approach

by Charlie taught me a valuable lesson related to the
fallibility of assuming material behavior when there was
no basis for that assumption.