Ben Oostdam's Autobiography: 1961-1963

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first day at Scripps

The next morning, I caught a quick glimpse of the British (Irish) girl and surmised I did not really mind the old ladies' romantic intrigues. After a quick look at the cove, I went to Scripps to report to my advisor by default, Dr. Douglas Inman - who stood in for my assigned advisor, Dr. Francis P. Shepard.

While waiting in his office, Inman's secretary, Helen Flanders, did not object to taking me to Tjiuana that evening which was to get me into hot water with her boss. But what, this was the beginning of the 1960's, and this was California! Get with it, man...in or out! (Some of the Tjiuana shows were rather gross, like the DFL Club, so I pretended to be a dumb Dutchman and not to understand what was going on.)

Inman showed me the office I was to share with Andy Soutar, a fellow student. It contained two desks, two bookshelves, a counter with sink and a drafting table, and was located on the top floor of new Ritter Hall. In the same hallway were the offices and labs of Shepard, Inman, Curray, Riedel, Van Andel, Bramlette, Phleger and Moriarty.

We had lunch on a terrace near the famous Scripps Pier and walked along the nearby beach which was full of staff swimming, running and sunbathing.