James Cronin

My real education began when I entered the University of Chicago in September 1951 as a graduate student.

My primary and secondary education was provided by the Highland Park Public School System.

My mother, Dorothy Watson, had met my father in a Greek class at Northwestern University.

While at Chicago my interest in the new field of particle physics was stimulated by a course given by Gell- Mann, who was developing his ideas about Strangeness at the time.

When the violation of parity was discovered I began a series of electronic experiments to investigate parity violation in hyperon decays.

The long-lived K meson was discovered at Brookhaven.

The Director of the Laboratory, George Reynolds, was most supportive of my efforts to work independently. There followed for ten years a glorious time for research.

Our whole family assembles in Chicago at Christmas and usually in Aspen in the summer.

One of the greatest joys in my life was giving a lecture in French at the College de France.

On even the worst days, when nothing was working at the lab, I knew that at home I would find warmth, peace, companionship, and encouragement. As a consequence, the next day would surely be better.

In addition to the research, I enjoyed learning French and assimilating the culture of another country.

In 1971 I returned to the University of Chicago as Professor of Physics.

I was much involved in the development of the spark chamber as a practical research tool.

I did a thesis in experimental nuclear physics under the direction of Samuel K. Allison.

During this period, with a series of excellent students, we further studied hyperon decays.