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