Physics alumn Al MacRae (’54, G’57, ’60 PhD) takes us down memory lane by sharing a few of his memories.

In my Senior year at Syracuse Central High School, I was faced with two problems. First, how do I pay for my college expenses? Should I postpone college for a year to work and earn some money or do I combine work and college? Fortunately, this dilemma was resolved in the Spring by being awarded full tuition academic scholarships to both Syracuse University and to RPI (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute). The second problem was, once in college, what should be my major course of study and thus what kind of work would I eventually like to do? I anticipated this problem while still in high school and even took three years of Latin – being told that this was a requirement of studying to be a medical doctor or a lawyer, both offering well-paying jobs. What a waste – I should have taken typing and a more useful language.

The only guidance provided by my high school was a stack of books describing professions. I had rejected the idea of being a lawyer, since one of my newspaper customers was a cheap, unpleasant lawyer. As a result of being good at math, I got 100% in both my intermediate algebra and trigonometry NY State Regents exams, engineering was a logical vocational choice. However, the guidance books indicated there were too many engineers at the time and that such jobs were scarce. That discouraged me from thinking seriously about an engineering major. As I thumbed through the book, I came across a page describing jobs in physics. I concluded that it must be similar to engineering and that there must be a need for nuclear trained people to work in the nascent nuclear power industry. But the book claimed that physicists were not paid very well – and that was disappointing. My father worked very hard as a carpenter, with a modest income, so I was oriented to getting a well-paying job after obtaining a college education. I continued my search for a college major and physics stayed on the top of my list.

I certainly did not know any physicists, let alone a college educated person, and had no clue what physicists did for a living. So, I made the audacious move for me at that time and phoned the Physics Department at Syracuse University and asked to talk to someone to help me. The lady who answered the phone said “Sure, I’ll make arrangements for you to talk to a person” and gave me directions to Steele Hall, the home of the Physics Department. A few days later, I showed up at the arranged time and the office. Much to my surprise, I was escorted into the office of the head of the Physics Department, Professor William R. Fredrickson. He described what physics majors did after college graduation and what the first-year physics courses covered. I well remember him telling me that I should expect physics courses to be challenging and that I should expect to do some serious studying if I majored in physics. He encouraged me to consider majoring in Physics and attending Syracuse University. He provided me with the name of the Freshman Physics textbook; “Principles of Physics I, Mechanics, Heat and Sound.” I went down to the university bookstore and purchased the book for $5.50. (It is still on my shelf.) This book assumed that you were familiar with calculus and was latter watered down to a book by Sears & Zemanski. The net result of this discussion was that I decided to major in physics and to attend Syracuse University, rejecting the RPI scholarship. A key factor in this discussion was that since I had such a favorable impression of Professor Fredrickson, that physicists must be “nice” people and certainly not miserable like my paper route lawyer. Today, this all sounds like rationalization thinking, but at the time, I had to make a quick decision. After a career as a physicist, I conclude that my impression of Fredrickson was correct, physicists are nice people.

As I look back on the almost ten years as a graduate and undergraduate student in the physics department, I feel fortunate that I came under the influence of Professor Fredrickson. He was a warm, friendly person who placed students at the top of his priority list, setting an excellent example for the faculty in the department. During the time that I worked at Bell Labs, I kept in touch with Professor Henry Levinstein, my PhD advisor. During one of my trips to Syracuse, Henry encouraged me to go to Fredrickson’s home and describe my early interaction with him. I went to his modest house located near Drumlins Country Club, met his wife and daughter, and reminisced over the events of the old days. It was a rewarding visit, and it was obvious that Freddie, wife, and daughter appreciated what I had to say. I cannot help but wonder if other past students took the time to say “thanks” to Professor Fredrickson as well as to other teachers.

For his 75th birthday, former students, faculty, and university colleagues contributed funds for the establishment of the William R. Fredrickson Scholarship Fund, an undergraduate award to provide partial tuition for an incoming first-year student, who indicates an interest in physics – a well-deserved tribute to a person who had a major impact on my life.