From age eight to eleven, I studied at a small school in Bath, England. It was a small school of four classes, with about twenty-five children in each class according to age. For the most part, one teacher had to teach all subjects. However, sometimes the headteacher , Mr. Ronald Broaches would come in and spend an hour or so.
He was a large man with a very happy nature. He had a sense of humor and would be glad in telling the children small stories which make us laugh.
I found that he took great interest in me and he quickly found that I enjoyed puzzles. He would stop me as I was going to class and take a piece of paper out of his pocket, often with a puzzle on it. As time went on, they slowly gave me an interest in math and problem –solving that stays with me to this day.
To this day, I can remember Mr. Broaches’ cheerful cry of “Well done!” whenever I got a problem right. I shall always be thankful that our paths crossed.
Mr. Bruoaches died just two weeks after I won the 1993 Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine. Unfortunately, I had no chance to speak to him before he died. I learnt late that he had heard of my success and I will always hope that he knew the deep influence he had made on my life.
