The physics department lost both a dedicated professor emeritus and a good friend with the passing of Dr. Jim White and Mrs. Thelma Present. Dr. Jim White passed away on May 21, 2000, eight days before his 86th birthday and six days before his 58th wedding anniversary. He came to the physics department in 1942, where he spent 42 years as a dedicated teacher and associate department head before retiring in 1984 as a professor emeritus of physics. Dr. White earned his bachelor's degree at Davidson College in North Carolina before going on to finish both his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His first teaching position was at Emory Junior College in Valdosta, Georgia. From there he moved on to become the head of the math and physics department at King College in Bristol, Tennessee. It was while he was at King that he was asked to join the UT Physics Department. Dr. Ken Hertel, department head at the time, was looking for a new addition to the faculty. He called Dr. Arthur Ruark of UNC and inquired about possible recruits. Dr. Ruark had been Jim White's major professor at Chapel Hill and recommended him for a position. However, when Professor Hertel offered Dr. White the job, he said he thought he was happy at King and politely declined. Thankfully, a phone call from Dr. Ruark convinced him otherwise and he agreed to come to Knoxville. Physics Professor Bill Bugg recalled Dr. White as a model of patience and discipline. "Jim White was the calmest, most patient man I have ever met in my life," he said. "I never saw him get excited or upset. I never saw him get angry. He just put his nose to the grindstone and pushed ahead. "He was also the most persistent and consistent person I have ever known," Dr. Bugg added. When he suffered a heart attack in the mid-1960s, he kept to his doctor's prescribed regimen with "dogged determinism," taking long walks at lunch and adhering strictly to his diet. Dr. White's steadfast dedication made him a devoted teacher, not just at the university level, but with students of any age. He spent several summers working with high school students who had an interest in the sciences. He was an early director and committed supporter of the Southern Appalachian Science and Engineering Fair, which began in 1952 as a means to heighten the interests of area students in science and engineering. UT still sponsors the fair each spring. Dr. White was also a member of the Tennessee Academy of Science. King College awarded him the Honorary Doctor of Science Degree in recognition of his academic discipline, as well as his service to the school and the Presbyterian Church, of which he was a lifelong member. Dr. White and his wife, Julia Taylor White, were married in Winnabow, North Carolina, but lived their entire married life in Knoxville. Dr. White was a devoted family with three sons and daughters-in-law, as well as three grandsons. Like many scientists, Dr. White had the sort of tireless mind that led him to solve puzzles. He served as "Deputy Sealer" for The Official Weight and Measurements of the State of Tennessee and enjoyed inventing new measurement tools or fixing anything that was broken. His hobbies included fixing old clocks, sailing, photography, traveling, reading, fishing, and Ogden Nash puns. A gentleman and scientist, he will be greatly missed. Mrs. Thelma Cohen Present passed away on May 22, 2000. She was the wife of Dr. Richard D. Present, a former physics professor who passed away in 1983. Mrs. Present was involved with several community activities, including the Fellowship House of Knoxville, the Knoxville Tutorial Project, the City-Wide Committee for Equal Services, the League of Women Voters, the National Conference of Christians and Jews, the Knoxville Mental Health Association, and the Knoxville Art Center. She also the author of Dear Margaret: Letters from Oak Ridge to Margaret Mead. Mrs. Present was 89 years old. Cross Sections, Fall 2000 Issue, Contents Page UT Physics News & Notes Page UT Physics Home Page This page was last updated on January 5, 2001. Please send comments to cal@utk.edu.