In Memory of John P. Kenny
Anyone who had Prof. John P. Kenny for Astronomy or Physics at Bradley University understands how special he was. The Peoria Journal Start reported that he died last Thursday after a long battle with brain tumors at the age of 66.
Born in Ireland, his family immigrated to St. Louis when he was a boy. Although the obituary in the Journal Star fails to tell the next step in the story, his life represents a series of events only possible in the optimism and ingenuity of post-war America.
Fresh out of high school, Kenny was selected by the freshly minted NASA because of his high mathematical aptitude to join a special program. They sent him to college and funded his PhD. He worked for them on a variety projects until funding was cut by the Nixon administration.
Naming the worst President in American history was a question on every exam he ever wrote.
He began teaching at Bradley in 1967 and continued teaching until this year. In his own words:
I have published about 10 theoretical papers on Quantum Cellular Automata (QCA's) in the past ten or so years with students and other faculty at Bradley University. QCA's attempt to model the fundamental of quantum mechanics where it looks more and more like the cosmos is continually creating itself. I am doing experimental research on Low Energy Nuclear Reactions with associates from Caterpillar, Inc. and University of Illinois, Champaign. I have found several low level surpassing radiation products emerging from deuterium loaded palladium in a lithium-6 electrolyte. I am continuing theoretical research on planetary rings and quantum gravity theories with students.
More than his research, Dr. Kenny was incredibly deep human being. I selected his class at the prompting of philosophy and literature professors who said that without reservation he was the most well-read man they had ever known.
His lectures were interwoven with discussion of ancient astrology, science fiction, Irish literature, beer choices, and poetry. Despite resistance from students in his basic course, he persevered in his effort to instill his genuine passion in his students. Like few teachers can, he held me accountable for my thoughts and was eager to hear about what literature or philosophy I was reading at the time. He undoubtedly had mastered it years before and had a thing or two to say about my interpretation.
Julie and I would occasionally bump into him at the Irish pub on the river-front in Peoria and he would always smile and say hello. He gladly shared stories from his boyhood in Ireland and his incredible life.
He was a soccer star in his youth and started Bradley's soccer program. He advised the astronomy club and led countless students on evening stargazing trips in and out of class. More than anything, he was a Star Trek Affecianado non-pareil.
John Kenny was a rare man who will be missed by all who knew him.
Who is this guy?
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