At this time, my work on the SPS power supplies had just come to an end; I joined a study group on the pp project and an experimental team studying cooling in a small ring (ICE).

After developing a primitive theory (1968) I therefore did not pursue this subject. However, the work was taken up by others and in 1974 the first experiments were done in the ISR.

I visited the Gymnasium in The Hague and passed my final examination (in the sciences section) in 1943.

My father was a schoolteacher and my mother came from a teacher's family.

My interest in matters more directly concerned with the handling of particles was growing, in the meantime, stimulated by many contacts with people understanding accelerators.

I got this story from someone who had no business in the telling of it.

Everyone wants a prodigy to fail it makes our mediocrity more bearable.

I rather have you win, because in God even those who are in second place are first.

Would you please please please please please please please stop talking?

The best bet you get is an even break.

Now, there are some who would like to rewrite history - revisionist historians is what I like to call them.

A witty writer is like a porcupine; his quill makes no distinction between friend and foe.

Professionalism is nothing but a crude insistance on the mechanization of mankind.

Man's command of the language is most important. Next to kissing, it's the most exciting form of communication.

A strong man and a waterfall always channel their own path.