Theodore P. Snow – 50th Reunion Essay

Theodore P. Snow

511 Eisenhower Dr.

Louisville, CO 80027

tsnow@casa.colorado.edu

Spouse(s): Constance M. Snow (1969)

Child(ren): McGregor A. Snow (1979), Tyler M. Snow (1983), Reilly A. Snow (1985)

Grandchild(ren): Parker Snow (2011); Declan Snow (2014)

Education: Yale, BA (1969); University of Washington, MS (1970); University of Washington PhD (1973)

Career: Research job at Princeton (1973–1977); faculty position at the University of Colorado (1977–2014 [Emeritus 2014 on]).

Avocations: Swimming, golf (before my stroke; pun intended)

College: Timothy Dwight

At our 25th reunion, I was looking forward; now, at our 50th, I am looking back. Such is my journal through life.

I was out of touch with the outside world in my childhood, except family and friends close by. We made annual trips to New England by way of Pennsylvania from Dayton, Ohio, to see relatives. Now I look at those years as the best, before Vietnam, parents’ health problems, and friends’ moving away.

In 1961 we moved from Dayton to Alabama to follow my dad, who worked for Boeing and the Saturn V program. Huntsville was interesting in the sixties. The population was a mix of traditional Southerners, high-tech workers; and German scientists from the V-2 project in WWII. I had friends in all three communities. That was a formative experience, molding my outlook for life.

Racial tension in Alabama was building up, but I was mostly unaware of it—the Black community was unseen. They had separate neighborhoods, schools, stores, and even a radio station and a swimming pool. The newspaper there didn’t mention Black programs and problems. Selma and King Jr., church bombings, fire hoses and dogs; George Wallace and Bull Conner—who knew?

Only at Yale did I learn of these things, though I didn’t participate, only watched. The University of Alabama, where I was recruited for swimming, wasn’t involved or maybe unaware; fraternities and football were king, not social changes.

At Yale my major was astronomy and physics, newly created, and I had two final exams. After Yale I went back to Seattle (I was born there) to enroll in the University of Washington. I earned an astronomical PhD in 1973, and my career went from there: Princeton for four years, and then the University of Colorado from 1977 to now.

One of the benefits of an astronomical career is travel, to conferences all around the world, to observatories in remote places, to launching pads in White Sands and Woomera in the Outback; and an occasional sabbatical (such as living in Sydney for six months, with family). I learned a lot, not only the science, but the people as well.

In 2005 I had a serious stroke. After about three or four years, my speech was good enough for me to get back to teaching (thanks to PowerPoint!), but at the six-year point, I had another stroke. It was minor according to an MRI scan, but major according to me. My speech and hearing were affected, preventing my teaching, and I had to retire in 2013.

My stroke had some benefits: more time for introspection, seeing some things for the first time, having the time for reading and writing, learning that the Boulder area has an excellent bus system, parking in places reserved for the handicapped (especially helpful in rain or snow).

Now I still have an office at CU, and I go there three or four days a week. Both Connie (my wife) and I like that.