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Show l46 describes the experience of being introduced to these friends of Eyring's this way: New graduate students in chemistry at Princeton 30 years ago soon came to accept the fact that Henry Eyring could see molecules. Henry spent eight to ten hours a day in his office talking w1th students and co-workers. After about an hour with him one would emerge into a new world in which the 'little fellow,: John and Joe and Sam, as Henry called them by name, were still dancing about in the friendliest way imaginable. Thus Henry showed how the onery behavior of complex systems could often be tamed by a kindly approach to the molecules. With blackboard, chalk43and relentless discussion, many mysteries were unraveled. Another of Eyring's traits with regard to problem solving is his interest in understanding the broader aspects. on to another question. Once this is done he is One student describes it this way: "Professor Eyring was not interested in polishing up what had been done in the past; he took little comfort in what was known. Instead, he was constantly involved in unraveling new problems--contributing to knowledge. This attitude dominated his classes, making them disorganized but interesting and useful"44 Without such an interest it seems it would have been impossible for him to take his graduate students to the fringes of scientific research in a very short time, where time could be spent on exciting new questions. One of the most frequent thoughts expressed at his seventieth birthday symposium was that of his great influence on not only his own students, but generations of American students and investigators of other nations. One well wisher wrote: While I was never, to my regret, one of your primary students, I must be considered at least a secondary student (or derivative student) since my edUcation as a scientist was largely in the hands of your former students and coworkers, Keith J. Laidler, Walter Moore and Hugh Hulburt. They and you can take credit for a number of my positive attributes and I absolve all of you from the blame for my |
