All of my grandparents came to this country from Eastern Europe in the late 19th century. Some arrived from a German-speaking area, the rest from Russian-speaking, still further east, They settled in the Chicago/Milwaukee area. Those on my mother's side became relatively successful economically. Her father was a real estate developer and her mother was the daughter of an insurance broker. On my father's side, less so: a tobacco shop proprietor. My maternal grandfather made a particular impact: while dealing in real estate, he entered politics (as a Socialist, prevalent in the 1920s upper midwest), and served several terms as a Milwaukee city councilman, before becoming a lawyer.
Although both of my parents attended college, neither was able to complete a degree. Nevertheless, they strongly encouraged my college and graduate education.
I am retired from a career that concluded as the Executive Director of The American Physical Society. Previously, I held managerial positions overseeing technical development in several large corporations, and served as the CEO of the New York State Energy R&D Authority. I hold a PhD in theoretical physics, and spent the first decade of my career doing published research at Bell Laboratories.
Richard Werthamer is retired from a successful career as a scientist and executive. Prior to the start of his professional career, Mr. Werthamer was summa cum laude graduate from Harvard and earned a Ph. D. from the University of Berkeley. He was most recently the Executive Officer of The American Physical Society: the world’s leading membership organization for the physical sciences. Further, Mr. Werthamer has a wealth of experience in senior management, research and development positions for corporations such as as AT&T, ExxonMobil and Becton Dickinson. He was the first recipient of the APS Congressional Fellowship and served as Chairman and CEO of the New York State Energy R&D Authority.
