An era has
passed, an epoch is over, a giant of the University of
California is gone. Joel Hildebrand died April 30, 1983,
following a strike, at the age of 101. As many reader will
recall, a magnificent series of celebrations was held on campus,
in November 1981, to honor Joel Hildebrand on his 100th
birthday. Words that might be said now were said then, when he
was here to enjoy, as he did, the accolades.
In a brief
memorial service May 9 at the Faculty Club (which Hildebrand
belonged to for 70 years), several prominent speaker remembered
the man who introduced 40,000 undergraduates to chemistry
(Beginning in 1913), who made significant and lasting
contributions to his field of scholarship, and who touched the
lives of so many on this campus.
Kenneth Pitzer,
former president of Stanford and Rice universities, former dean
of the college of chemistry here, and now a professor, recalled
one of his most vivid memories of Joel Hildebrand. It happened
in 1954, after Hildebrand's formal retirement, when he was to be
presented with an honorary degree. The ceremony took place at
the large commencement exercises then held at Memorial Stadium.
"I had the pleasure of introducing Joel on that occasion,"
Pitzer remembered, "and when the citation of his accomplishments
was read, the tens of thousands in the audience immediately
applauded so enthusiastically that President Sproul forgot
to confer the degree." After that omission was remedied,
Hildebrand received a second, overwhelming ovation. "I doubt,"
said Pitzer, "that any other honorary degree had ever received a
warmer, more enthusiastic response. It beautifully symbolized
the high regard in which Joel was held by students, alumni,
professional colleagues, and all others who come to know him."
Berni Alder, a
scientific collaborator with Hildebrand since the 1950s and now
a distinguished senior scientist at Lawrence Livermore
Laboratory, pointed out that the characteristics of the great
leaders in the United States during the past century were those
Joel Hildebrand exemplified: common sense, earthiness,
self-confidence, wit, honesty, and the ability to work hard.
"People who made this country great had those characteristics. I
would single out Mark Twain in literature; Harry Truman in
politics; and Joel Hildebrand in science. I'm afraid they don't
make people like that any more."
The youngest
Hildebrand son, Roger (61 years old), the final speaker at the
memorial service, bore greetings from Joel's 97-year-old widow,
Emily. "Mother is doing well," Roger said. "She is ready to
carry on the family tradition. Last night, she knew I was
struggling to finish a paper by the end of the week. As I was
relaxing after dinner, she said: 'Roger, hadn't you better get
to work?'
"My father liked
to say, 'One should not let modesty stand in the way of truth.'
That is an aphorism he observed faithfully. He liked his medals
and his prizes, and he liked to talk about them. But he also
liked to brag about the accomplishments of his young colleagues
--- his young colleagues were the ones under 100.
"On behalf of his
family, I want to thank you, his friends and colleagues, for the
friendship and kindness you showed to him, especially in the
last years, that brought him so much pleasure. And we want to
thank you for the kindness you are still showing mother. This is
a university with a heart, and that heart is part of its
excellence.
"Next to his
family, this university was the concern and joy of Joel
Hildebrand's life. The continued excellence of the University
can be the best memorial to his life."
__________
_____. "Joel
Hildebrand, 1881~1983." California Monthly. 93, No. 6
(June-July 1983), p. 7.
