CLASS OF 1953 WHO'S WHO & WHERE - The City College Fund

Alvin J. Paullay, Ph.D.: I was born in November, 1931 inNew York City. I grew up in the Bronx and attended JHS 117,where I received the Medal for Excellence in Mathematics at graduation.I am grateful to my 9 th year mathematics teacher, DeborahStafford, who recognized my interest and aptitude, and allowedme to learn all of my 9 th year mathematics independently from aworkbook. I attended the Bronx High School of Science, where Ilettered in track and field, and cross country running. I graduatedin the upper fourth of the class. I was happy to work with mybuddy, D. Olander, who went on to a career as a Professor of NuclearEngineering at U. of Cal. Berkeley. During this time, I was active in Scouting and eventuallyserved as Scoutmaster of Troop 267, BSA, Bronx; I served on Camp Ranachqua Staff, and was amember of the Order of the Arrow, WWW.I applied to the Naval ROTC Program, which would pay all expenses to any college that would acceptme. I hoped to use it to study Aeronautical Engineering at Cornell, but failed the physical examby one half of an inch. This was surely a turning point in my life, but the failure was certainly forthe best, as I suffered motion sickness on the Staten Island Ferry, and I don’t think I would havedone too well on the Navy’s sailing ships.I came to City College because it had a great engineering school, and because it was free. All themembers of the CE Department, in those days, were competent engineers and great teachers; mostinspiring to me were Professors B. Kaplan, J. Pistrang, D. Brandt, and J. Steven. The course mostsignificant to me was Statically Indeterminate Structures, taught by Professor G. Olsen; there, Ilearned that I preferred the mathematics of engineering to the design. I was elected to honor societiesChi Epsilon and Tau Beta Pi, and a member of the student chapter of ASCE.Just as in high school, I competed in track and field and cross country running, and earned threemajor letters. I was inspired by my coach, the legendary Harold Anson “Doc” Bruce, who taughtme all that was known at the time about training and race tactics. “Doc” and I remained close formany years after my graduation. I also remained close to my teammates: T. O’Brien; D. Rosenberg;J. Marcal; and H. Jeremias. They are my dearest friends today.I received a BCE from The City College of New York in 1953. I also received an MS in CE fromColumbia University in 1958, studying under Professor M. Salvadori, and a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematicsfrom the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn in 1969. Professor M. Morduchow was a greatinspiration, and my mentor at Poly. I did post-doctoral studies at the University of Southern California,Stanford University, and the Courant Institute for Mathematical Sciences. I was elected tohonor fraternities Sigma Gamma Tau, and Sigma Xi, and a member of the professional societiesASCE, AIAA, AAUP, MAA, and the Planetary and the Mars Societies. I am a licensed professionalengineer.