Ashok Rajguru
Ashok Rajguru*
In October 1962, Donald French a graduate student in clinical psychology at the University of Chicago, interviewed his friend, Ashok Rajguru, a doctoral candidate in theoretical physics at Northwestern University.
Ashok Rajguru had lived in Calcutta, India, until 1960, when he had received a fellowship to continue his studies in physics at Northwestern. By the fall of 1962 Ashok had completed all the requirements for the Ph.D. except for a thesis in which he hoped to make an original contribution to quantum electrodynamics. He had not been home since first coming to this country.
Donald and Ashok had first met in June 1962 as the only summer employees at an electronics company in California. They had decided to room together, and during the summer developed an affable relationship without ever becoming close friends. They had frequently talked about such topics as politics, literature and economics, but had found that their social and recreational interests were quite different.
The interview was arranged by telephone one day in advance. Donald told Ashok that he wanted to practice understanding another person's point of view. Donald explained that this was part of a course at the University of Chicago, and that he would be graded on his ability to understand how someone else felt about things. Ashok readily agreed to help, without any apparent concern over whether his identity or the interview would be kept confidential.
On the day of the interview Donald drove out to Evanston, had lunch with Ashok, and brought him back to Chicago. After a one-hour tour of the campus, and some conversation about life at Chicago, Donald invited Ashok over to Donald's room for the interview. No one else was present. Donald set up a borrowed tape recorder in the middle of the room, explaining that he wanted to listen to the discussion again so as to improve his understanding and technique. The recorder did not appear to bother Ashok, and
In October 1962, Donald French a graduate student in clinical psychology at the University of Chicago, interviewed his friend, Ashok Rajguru, a doctoral candidate in theoretical physics at Northwestern University.
Ashok Rajguru had lived in Calcutta, India, until 1960, when he had received a fellowship to continue his studies in physics at Northwestern. By the fall of 1962 Ashok had completed all the requirements for the Ph.D. except for a thesis in which he hoped to make an original contribution to quantum electrodynamics. He had not been home since first coming to this country.
Donald and Ashok had first met in June 1962 as the only summer employees at an electronics company in California. They had decided to room together, and during the summer developed an affable relationship without ever becoming close friends. They had frequently talked about such topics as politics, literature and economics, but had found that their social and recreational interests were quite different.
The interview was arranged by telephone one day in advance. Donald told Ashok that he wanted to practice understanding another person's point of view. Donald explained that this was part of a course at the University of Chicago, and that he would be graded on his ability to understand how someone else felt about things. Ashok readily agreed to help, without any apparent concern over whether his identity or the interview would be kept confidential.
On the day of the interview Donald drove out to Evanston, had lunch with Ashok, and brought him back to Chicago. After a one-hour tour of the campus, and some conversation about life at Chicago, Donald invited Ashok over to Donald's room for the interview. No one else was present. Donald set up a borrowed tape recorder in the middle of the room, explaining that he wanted to listen to the discussion again so as to improve his understanding and technique. The recorder did not appear to bother Ashok, and