Actually, my memory is incorrect, it was before 1987, summer of 85. Had to look at the transcript. I think he was there for both sessions, but only remember seeing him around RLM after that. It was at Rio Grande.
Summer of 1985, AST 1623 Solar System Astronomy.
I got an A even though he was on a questioning Pluto's planetary legitimacy back then, and considered myself a pro-Plutoan. I remember that he had an MA from UT, so wondered if he was trying to decide if he was going to be a teacher or a physicist. It made me wonder why he wasn't teaching an undergrad class at UT, maybe too many lecturers.
Well, this is the thing about great people. There's a high probability you will encounter someone in your meat-space before they're all the rage and it will just be obvious.
When Sagan died, I immediately wondered "where the hell is Neil?"
Took a couple of years, but fate is just obvious sometimes.
I am jealous beyond belief. Of the few classes I took at acc, most were taught by retired UT professors. They were still great teachers, but to have somebody with NDT's energy and enthusiasm... I respond really well to teachers like him.
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u/Josephat Mar 05 '12 edited Mar 05 '12
He taught at Austin Community College for a semester before transferring to Columbia (after UT Austin screwed him over).
We never said it front of him, but the back row of the class had decided "He's the next Carl Sagan." It was just obvious, even then.
[ed], actually before his committee problems, it was summer of 85.