Remembering Bob Hamilton

In October, NAGT-FWS members were saddened to learn of the passing of Bob Hamilton following a short battle with a form of lymphoma. Bob, a veteran of 27 years of teaching at Solano Community College (SCC) was very much a regular participant at FWS meetings for at least two decades. Besides geology Bob also taught physics, chemistry, astronomy and physical science. Hailing originally from Lima, Ohio, his educational background includes master’s degrees in geology from UC Berkeley and in physical science from San Francisco State. Bob’s teaching style and personality were recalled at the memorial service and in the Solano newspaper. Two of these recollections, especially, relate his style and influence on young people. One of the tributes is that by Danielle Widemann, now a member of the SCC science faculty, who, as a student, had been one of Bob’s chemistry and geology students: "I consider Bob Hamilton to have been one of the most influential and inspirational people in my life. As a teacher, I can only hope to influence a life the way he has influenced mine." Mark Flores, now a professor at CSU Sacramento and UC Davis extension, was another of his SCC students. Typical of many CC students, he lacked direction and long-term goals, but Bob took him under his wing. Flores reports that Bob helped him "understand the magic of mathematics and opened the door for thinking and logic. The funny thing is many of his quirky mannerisms, quotes, catch phrases and attitudes, have found their way into my teaching of college students. I use them shamelessly and think of Bob when I do."

Among the lesser-known aspects of Bob’s life is that he held a black belt in judo, and he founded the wrestling team at Berkeley High School where he taught science and math before joining the faculty of SCC in 1972. He worked out for years with the SCC’s Judo Club where, when judo Coach Jimmy Tanaka had a student with a large frame who needed a lesson, he would call upon Bob [who was rather short in stature] to demonstrate dramatically that it was technique rather than size that mattered in Judo.