Interview with Lee F. Browne - Caltech Oral Histories

Browne–37
COHEN: But now, I’m trying to think, because there were some other programs going on at this
time already for the high schools, weren’t there? Now, who was managing some of these other
programs?
BROWNE: I was dealing with all those.
COHEN: All those programs.
BROWNE: I visited schools and set up programs and did all that. Now, about a year before I
left—
COHEN: What year was that?
BROWNE: That was in 1989. Jerry Pine and them got some money and were going to do
something with those kids and schools, but, you see, they can’t do anything with schools,
because they have never worked in those schools and they don’t know what the politics are.
COHEN: Yes. Well, Jerry Pine was doing something else. He was developing a science program
for elementary schools.
BROWNE: Yes. Well, that’s part of what it was. And then that young man he brought with him,
[James M.] Bower.
COHEN: Bower, yes.
BROWNE: Well, see, the intellectualism that’s useful at Caltech is not useful in the public
schools. And they would make mistakes. And I don’t think the programs are working.
COHEN: Well, I think some of it’s been successful.
BROWNE: Well, they are touching on some things.
http://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechOH:OH_Browne_L