ScienceMakers Toolkit Manual - The History Makers

Physics
From 1950 to 1954, Bates attended Manhattan College on a full academic scholarship. After receiving his B.S.
degree in electrical engineering from Manhattan College, Bates earned his M.S. degree in electrical engineering
from Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn. Bates then received a fellowship from Harvard University where he
earned another M.S. degree in electrical engineering in 1960. Bates went on to further his education at Washington
University in St. Louis, Missouri, where he received his Ph.D. in physics in 1966.
Following his graduation, Bates worked for several engineering and scientifi c companies including Varian
Associates, AVCO, Sylvania Electric Products, the Ford Instrument Company, and RCA; his projects ranged
from low-level light detection and x-ray image intensifi cation to the design of the nuclear reactor controls of
the fi rst SEA WOLF, the second atomic powered submarine. In 1972, Bates left Varian and accepted a position
in Stanford University’s Materials Science and Engineering and Electrical Department. Bates continued to
work at Stanford for the next twenty-two years, where he helped to organize the Society of Black Scientists and
Engineers. In 1984, Bates accepted the position of associate dean for graduate education and research at Howard
University’s College of Engineering, Architecture, and Computer Sciences. Throughout the course of his
career, Bates authored numerous publications. Bates also continued to be committed to increasing the number
of African Americans in the science and engineering fi elds and the number of scientifi c research projects at predominately
black colleges and universities.
Bates and his wife, Priscilla, raised three children: Katherine, Christopher and Naomi.
Discussion Questions
Personal:
1. What did you like best about listening to Dr. Bates?
2. Where was Dr. Bates born? Locate it on a map. How far away is this from where you live? What are the
names of his parents? Where did Dr. Bates attend high school? What do you suppose high school was
like for him?
3. How old are you? In what year was Dr. Bates your age? What was happening in the country that year?
What was happening in the world that year? What do you suppose his life was like when he was your
age?
4. Dr. Bates talks about taking a dream of his and fi guring out how to make it come true. What was his
dream? What do you dream about doing? What can you see yourself doing as an adult? (See Clip #1)
5. Dr. Bates talks about his obstacles. What were they? How did he get around them? What obstacles might
prevent you from making your dreams come true? What can you do to get around them? (See Clip #2)
6. Dr. Bates also talks about failure. How did he handle failure? What was the result? Have you ever failed
at something? How did you handle it? What does Dr. Bates say is the key to dealing with failure? Zig
Ziglar has said, “Failure is an event, not a person.” What do you think this means? How can you apply
this to your life? (See Clip #2)
7. Why did Dr. Bates go to Washington University for his Ph.D.? Has there ever been anyone that you
admired and wanted to work with? What drew you to that person? How did that person affect your life?
Going forward, who are the people that you are looking to inspire you? Where do you think this will
lead? Is there anyone who admires you? What can you do to point that person in a positive direction?
(See Clip #3)
146