Interview with Thomas A. Tombrello - Caltech Oral Histories

Tombrello–84
well. And I came out of it extremely well, working with people like that. It makes it hard to be
anyplace else. But I believe there was very much this model of—not quite Herr Doktor
Professor, but there was a definite project with a definite vision, and Willy supplied a lot of that.
The students I’ve got now, the former undergrads who are now out looking for jobs, I tell them
they have to watch out for that. You have to watch out for these personality-centric
organizations where you have a lot of fun. The slogan I use is, “Watch out for Peter Pan.” I
think I mentioned that yesterday. You know, Never Never Land’s a lot of fun, but you can end
up as one of the Lost Boys. You must be very careful, because you’re good enough, or
potentially good enough, that you want to make a career of your own, that’s got your name on
it—not just further the vision of somebody else. My joke yesterday of making Formula 1’s, not
Chevrolets, is exactly about that. Caltech should be producing, and does produce, enormous
numbers of unique individuals who go out and do what they think the future is. If Caltech ever
stops doing that, they would be a third-rate place or a fourth- or whatever. A trade school at best.
ASPATURIAN: Hopefully that will never happen.
TOMBRELLO: I think that will never happen. There are forces in that direction, but the people we
get are sufficiently tough-minded that they’re going to do pretty much what they want. Now, in
dealing with personalities—
ASPATURIAN: I have a question. Given Willy’s model of doing things and given your own
outlook and what you mentioned about Gell-Mann and the loss of Val Telegdi, was there much
overt friction over any of this?
TOMBRELLO: Oh, yes, absolutely. The division was large fiefdoms. High-energy physics was
dominated by Bob Walker [d.2005] and Matt Sands. And Alvin Tollestrup, who’d been a
student in Kellogg, was also part of that. There also was [Valentine Professor of Physics,
emeritus] Felix Boehm’s group. Well, Felix plus Jesse DuMond [d. 1976]. Those were power
centers within the division. There wasn’t a lot else. I’ve mentioned Pellam, in the basement, but
that was sort of a one-person group and was probably, in terms of critical mass, marginal. And
so there were, if you like, three power centers in the PMA division in physics. Astronomy was—
now I’ve really lost it. The man who ran Palomar?
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