Dr. Brockhouse, the Nobel, and a pivotal day
We all knew his work was transformative and we were all very proud
We have recently been reading about the incredible accomplishments of those being awarded the prestigious Nobel Prizes. It brought back memories for me of the day our very own Dr. Bertram Brockhouse was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1994 — a transformational day not just for him but also for Hamilton and for McMaster University. To be thrust on to the world stage in such a way was absolutely incredible. It has had an indelible impact on our community.
It isn’t well known that the Nobel Prize people call the recipient to inform them they will be receiving the honour at the same time as they call the media. There is no time to prepare. “Bert” Brockhouse got the call at about 6 a.m. on that wonderful day and not long after, the first radio news reports were on the air. The McMaster president at the time, Dr. Geraldine Kenny Wallace, called me from Ottawa having just heard it on the news.
I immediately went over to the Brockhouse home in Ancaster where Dr. and Mrs. Brockhouse were still in their pyjamas and enjoying their tea and toast. This was about 30 minutes after having received the phone call that would change their lives forever. The call had come in on their black, rotary dial phone that would ring incessantly from then on. Only a few minutes later, the first media representative was at their door wanting to do an interview. The team at McMaster went to work immediately to organize a news conference early that afternoon where all media would get a chance to hear the same story at the same time. This would turn out to be one of the largest media conferences ever held in Hamilton. Representatives from all major networks across North America were in attendance along with correspondents from around the world. Suddenly, Hamilton and McMaster were on the world stage in the best possible way.
In addition to doing endless media interviews over the following hours and days, Dr. Brockhouse had calls of congratulations from dignitaries and friends all across the country and beyond.
One of the fun parts throughout the process was to watch how the work done by “Bert” was described by the various media. Neutron scattering is not an easy thing to describe in a sound bite or a short article. The most common question he was asked during the first couple of days was “could you describe, in laymen terms, the work you did”. After attempting to simplify his work for the media he got to the point where he simply said, no, it really isn’t possible. His work was so complex that it couldn’t easily be communicated to the general public. It didn’t matter. We all knew his work was transformative and we were all very proud that he was being recognized in this way.
Over the following months he went to Stockholm to receive the award and for years after he travelled extensively to talk about his research and to represent Hamilton and McMaster around the world.
That phone call interrupting his quiet breakfast one early morning in 1994 led to a renewed excitement for what he had done and what he was able to continue doing.
There can be little doubt that Dr. Bertram Brockhouse receiving the Nobel Prize in 1994 played an important role in building the reputation of our city and of our university. Being the best in the world. That is what he was and what he inspired the rest of us to be.
Neutron scattering is not an easy thing to describe in a sound bite or a short article.