An Open Letter to the Next Generation

James Patterson
Professor Emeritus
Florida Institute of Technology
Melbourne, FL

Starting as an undergraduate student and ending as a department head, I had a career in physics that spanned approximately a half century. While, on the whole, I enjoyed my various roles as student, professor, and department head, I suppose a reviewer of a proposal I wrote got it right when he said I had had a relatively undistinguished career. Then why you may wonder, should you listen to me? For one thing, I think my career was fun. Physics is so interesting that I believe it is rewarding at whatever level you can perform. My teaching often energized me; I wrote papers that interested me, if few others; and I met many interesting people. However, I wish I had maximized my opportunities. Obviously, because I had a long, uninterrupted physics career, I must have done a few things right. But that is another story.

Retirement has given me time for introspection, and I think I have figured out a few reasons why I was not more successful. Such insights are of little use to me now, but perhaps they may be helpful to some of the younger generation.