When I knew I was going to finish my doctoral dissertation, I started applying for professor gigs. Of course, I didn't know when I was going to finish it until it was done. So I was somewhat late to the cycle.
By the time I sent my vita out, there were only about 3 calls, the most interesting from the University of Idaho in Moscow.
When I was young, I used to visit my dad's sister and her family in Boise, so I was somewhat familiar with Idaho. But not this part of Idaho. Here, they brag about being the Lentil capital of the world (Neil would love it). Not 24x7 excitement, but a nice little town.
People used to ask "Is that the potato part or the white supremacist part". Without hesitating, I'd answer "the white supremacist part". After living in NOLA, and moving to Moscow, Idaho, I was shocked at the lack of non-honkies. Oh well. This is also the place where I proclaimed, after eating yet another bland meal, "they think spices are the work of the devil".
And there's nothing like telling your fiancee in Prague that "we're moving to Moscow". Visions of tanks driving through town danced in her head.
But don't get me wrong. I took the job for a reason. The people there were really cool.
Coolest among them was the former chair of the department, John Dickinson, or as we called him, JohnD.
He was what I yearned to be. Nice to everyone (really), exceedingly competent, good with students, doing meaningful research, and had a life outside work. He was the founder of genetic programming, and was doing it before Koza, before anybody. Even after I left Idaho, I could give him a call or drop him an email, he was that kind of guy.
You may recall, in one of the first instances of enforcing the patriot act, a University of Idaho student, Sami Omar Al-Hussayen, was arrested. Supposedly, he was running a bunch of terrorist websites.
Ya wanna know what happened? When you register a domain, you have to put down an administrative contact and a technical contact. When a group was registering the domains for these websites, they asked Sami if they could put him down as the technical contact, since he was pursuing his PhD in Computer Science. Sure, he said.
That's about it.
And the feds went after him like Halliburton goes after no-bid contracts.
This guy was leading candlelight vigils after 9/11. He was a student in one of my classes. He was not a terrorist.
When all was said and done, Sami's life in the US was ruined. However, his PhD advisor, JohnD stuck by him, and when Sami left for Riyadh after being acquitted of all charges, JohnD told Sami he could continue to work with him, and finish his PhD.
The whole incident so outraged JohnD that he decided to do something.
He ran for office. He became a city councilman. Then he became President of the council. He was possibly going to shoot even higher. He wasn't just talking, he wasn't politicking, he was doing.
On Sunday, January 7, JohnD pulled off to the side of the road to help a stranded driver. While he was helping, a third car came toward them, and crashed into JohnD's car. To avoid getting hit, JohnD jumped over the guard rail.
He fell 35 feet into the 40 degree waters of the John Day river.
His body has not been found.
I miss my friend.
I'm so sorry. That's a terrible loss.
Posted by: Carrie Guevara | 31 January 2007 at 12:36 PM
Oh, no. I'm sorry, too.
Why does this kind of stuff happen to the good people?
Posted by: liprap | 31 January 2007 at 01:42 PM
Sorry. Wow, what a great man; so much to learn from! The memories of wonderful friends live on through us and our actions.
Posted by: Maitri | 31 January 2007 at 02:46 PM
I am so sorry to hear about your friend.
Posted by: saintseester | 31 January 2007 at 04:14 PM
This man clearly was what a professor should be: smart, principled, skilled and compassionate. Since you've got to go somehow, it's best to go out trying to help someone.
(By the way, I love Idaho. I love visiting Idaho, Wyoming and Montana-- hell I work there in the summer. But I get creeped out by the Hordes of Whitey too.)
Posted by: R. Eustis | 31 January 2007 at 04:29 PM
Wow, what a story. Nobility until the very end. I know you feel fortunate to have known him, and I'm sure he was fortunate to know you.
Peace,
Tim
Posted by: Tim | 01 February 2007 at 12:05 PM